Hawaii Officials Considering "Viewing Area" For Erupting Kilauea Volcano

Hawaiian officials considering 'viewing platform' for lava flow

It's the hottest thing on Hawaii's Big Island and officials are trying to figure out a safe way for the public to see it up close in an effort to boost tourism to the area. 

Hawaiian Gov. David Ige told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Wednesday that officials were considering opening up a lava "viewing platform" for the public so they could get an up close look at the 8-mile, 2,000-degree river of lava heading out to sea on the Big Island of Hawaii. 

“That would help us to kick-start and revive the reasons for going to that Pahoa side of the island,” Ige told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. 

Details about the viewing platform are still under discussion, with several sites under consideration for the site. Ige says above all the viewing area would have "to be safe" and would get visitors high enough so  they could see inside a volcanic culvert that has been created in the fast-moving magma's wake. 

Officials say a viewing platform would also discourage tourists and wannabe volcanologists from risking their personal safety to see the flowing lava. Many people have attempted to sneak into off-limits areas, only to be arrested. 

“People are trying to find their own viewing locations and circumvent the roadblocks, which we don’t think is very helpful,” Ige said.

Officials say there's also lots of interest in seeing the lava flow - especially since the erupting Kilauea volcano has shut down the Big Island's most popular tourist attraction - Hawaii's National Volcanoes Park. 

At least 600 homes have been destroyed by the fast-moving lava with more than 2,000 people displaced by the eruption ever since the Kilauea volcano began erupting nearly seven weeks ago on May 3. The U.S.G.S. reports that the fast-moving lava from Fissure Eight of the volcano flowed around eight miles in length, with the magma traveling at around 15 miles per hour. 

"Lava fountains from the Fissure 8 spatter cone continue to feed the established channel that transports lava to the ocean at the Kapoho coastline with one main entry area active at the south end of the flow front at the ocean," the U.S.G.S. wrote in an update on Wednesday. 

Photo: Getty Images


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