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Eleven Fined $350 Each For Venturing To the Rim Of Hawai'i Volcanoes' Halema‘uma‘u Crater

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Published Date

August 29, 2018
Kilauea's Summit, Then and Now/USGS

Then and now. It has proven difficult to exactly match past and present views of Kīlauea's summit to show the dramatic changes in the volcanic landscape, but this is a recent attempt. At left is a photo taken on November 28, 2008, with a distinct gas plume rising from the vent that had opened within Halema‘uma‘u about eight months earlier. At right is a photo taken on August 1, 2018, to approximate the 2008 view for comparison/USGS

Temptation in the form of an active volcanic crater can be a powerful motivator, but for 11 people the thrill of staring down into the fuming Halema‘uma‘u Crater at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park was tempered by a $350 ticket each from park rangers for ignoring closure signs and disorderly conduct.

The 11 were caught Saturday after they snuck past numerous closure signs and ventured down to the crater rim, according to park staff. They were spotted by a National Park Service geomorphologist and trail crew assessing seismic damage across the caldera at Keanakāko‘i.

“When people put themselves at risk, they put first responders at risk,” said Chief Ranger John Broward. “Some of the offenders were spotted right at the sheer edge of the crater, which is now about 1,500 feet deep and extremely unstable. They are fortunate none of them died."

The group had parked their vehicles near Nāmakanipaio Campground and claimed they did not see the numerous closure signs between Highway 11, the museum, and the crater’s edge. Each of the 11 - 10 men and one woman -- was cited $100 for violating a lawful closure and $250 for disorderly conduct. There also was a $30 processing fee for each citation.

Most of the park has been closed since May 11 due to dangerous and damaging seismic activity and subsidence at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. The activity has waned since Aug. 2, and the park has set a target date of Sept. 22 to partially reopen after safety assessments are complete, provided no additional natural disasters occur.

Halema‘uma‘u aerial view on June 12, 2018/USGS - Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

Halema‘uma‘u crater aerial view on June 12, 2018/USGS - Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

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