Rain aids effort to put out lava-sparked wildfire
Rain aids effort to put out lava-sparked wildfire
21 March 2011
published by www.kpua.net
USA (Hawaii) –National Park officials say two days of rain are helping slow a lava-sparked wildfire at Kilauea volcano that has burned more than 1,800 acres.
Park service Fire Education and Information Manager Gary Wuchner said firefighters are taking advantage of rainy conditions to develop safety zones in cool areas within the Napau Fire’s perimeter and watch over vegetation that could feed the blaze.
Lava from the Kamoamoa fissure eruption sparked the fire on the east rift of Kilauea on March 13.
Wuscher says park fire crews are waiting for more favorable conditions before engaging the fire. Crews meanwhile have installed a temporary water storage tank to draw water continuously.
Firefighters have also cut back brush surrounding sensitive monitoring equipment used by the U.S. Geological Survey.
