Lava flows
easier to see starting
on Friday

Officials are warning
visitors to obey signs and
stay off the beach

---

By Rod Thompson
rthompson@starbulletin.com

HILO >> Big Island lava flow access will be easier starting Friday, but that doesn't mean trouble-free, officials warned yesterday.

County, state, and federal agencies worked since last week to improve a gravel road to a remote coastal area where lava is entering the ocean.

The road will officially be opened at 2 p.m. Friday, and officials pleaded for common sense and courtesy.

They especially urged visitors to stay in the designated viewing area on a bluff and not climb down to the sand-covered "bench" of newly deposited lava, which can collapse into the sea at any time.

"This is a very unstable situation. Stay off the bench," said Hawaiian Volcano Observatory head Don Swanson.

Geologist Ken Hon added, "The beach is the bench."

Fire Chief Ed Bumatay, whose personnel would be responsible for rescues, said state law allows him to charge people for the cost of their rescue, and if a case arises, he will do that.

Even people who stay out of big trouble face a series of lesser challenges.

People will have to park their cars and walk 20 to 30 minutes one way to the viewing site, officials said.

Although there will be parking for 160 cars, only five portable toilets will be placed in the area, and those will be cleaned only twice a week, said county Parks and Recreation director Pat Englehard.

There will be no drinking water.

Viewing will be open from 2 to 10 p.m. each day, with the last cars allowed in at 8:30 p.m.

The trail from the road will be marked by reflective posts and, at night, by blinking lights.

Everyone should bring one or more large flashlights -- not the penlight kind -- officials said. They should wear good shoes, not rubber slippers.

All the land along the road is private or county property, and people should stay out of it, they said.

There are bright spots.

County attorney Lincoln Ashida said numerous warning signs should increase the county's protection from lawsuits. Educational signs will also be posted.

Four volunteer geologists will acts as guides the first week. Local residents may be hired later.

County spokeswoman Janet Snyder said the county received an e-mail from a man in California praising the effort as "highly progressive."

VOLCANO WATCH The Star-Bulletin features "Volcano Watch," every Sunday. It is a weekly column written by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. The writers will address the science and history of volcanos in Hawaii and elsewhere. It also will include a short, separate update on eruption activity on the Big Island.