Downwind margin of burned area caused by fire ignited by the Mother's Day flow. The fire flared up yesterday afternoon and neared the Chain of Craters Road (barely visible crossing a 1970's Mauna Ulu flow in upper left quarter of image), 2-2.5 km east of the Kealakomo viewpoint. Intensive fire-fighting efforts are underway today to prevent further spreading.

Map of area burned by the Kupukupu (swordfern) Fire as of 0700. Map courtesy of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The fire was ignited 15 days ago by the Mother's Day lava flow, which erupted from two new vents at the southwest base of Pu`u `O`o. Note the large area (620 hectares--1,530 acres) burned over on the afternoon and night of May 31-June 1; this prompted closure of the Chain of Craters Road. The fire illustrates an important principle of eruptions--the consequences extend far beyond those of the eruption itself.

View looking downslope across the front of the east branch of the HALP flow. It angles across the intersection of Prince and Ekaha Streets in upper Royal Gardens and is now moving onto `a`a flow erupted in 1984. Prince is the street heading away from camera just above the smoke. Ali`i Street (right third of image) is free of lava. Ekaha-Warrior intersection is on extreme right-central edge, covered by new flow.

Looking upslope across burned area in upper Royal Gardens subdivision. The near cross street is Tuberose, the far, Ekaha. The Ekaha-Warrior intersection--the first inundated by the HALP flow--is barely visible in the upper left corner of the subdivision. The left-hand street is Ali'i, headed diagonally upslope to smoky country. Prince (right-hand street) parallels Ali`i. An unpaved lane lies between Ali`i and Prince. The tip of the flow is just downslope from Tuberose and east of Prince, along the margin of a 1984 `a`a flow. Most of the area enclosed by Ekaha, Prince, Tuberose, and Ali`i has been burned in the past week. Pu`u `O`o is in extreme upper left.

Shiny central branch of the Mother's Day flow has advanced toward camera along the west edge of the dark 1955 Jason flow and is now opposite the north end of a prominent rock wall, about 380 feet above sea level. Note how some lava spilled onto and almost across the Jason flow. In distance are two smoky streams that form the east branch.

West branch cut the Kalapana Trail several days ago. This branch is sluggish now, having been superceded by the central branch in the image above. The Kalapana Trail is of historical significance. It was a main travel route (foot, horse, mule) from Kilauea's summit area to Kalapana until the Chain of Craters Road was built in the 1960s.

View looking downslope across the front of the east branch of the HALP flow. It angles across the intersection of Prince and Ekaha Streets in upper Royal Gardens and is now moving onto `a`a flow erupted in 1984. Prince is the street heading away from camera just above the smoke. Ali`i Street (right third of image) is free of lava. Ekaha-Warrior intersection is on extreme right-central edge, covered by new flow.

Aerial view of HALP flow advancing in two lobes, one down Prince Street (middle of image) and the other, larger, between Prince and Royal Streets (right street). The lowest lobe is nearly to Pikake Street, an advance of about 450 m in the past two days. The lobe going down Prince has crossed Pakalana Street, parallel to Pikake. Fuming Pu`u `O`o in upper left.
 

Contrast in surface color between the dark 1995 Jason flow, on which person stands, and the shiny, still-hot Mother's Day flow. In another 7 years, the Mother's Day flow will have a dark color similar to that of the Jason. View is just above top of Paliuli looking seaward. In top center is Army Blackhawk helicopter carrying water dipped from ocean to do battle with wildfire started by the flow.