Firefighters Have Trouble Reaching Lava-Sparked Hawaii Wildfire
A lava-sparked wildfire at Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island has burned nearly 2,000 acres and continues to threaten a rainforest filled with endangered species.
Specialized firefighting teams from western U.S. states arrived in Hilo to help battle the blaze, which is in a remote area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The work requires some firefighters to rappel into fire-stricken areas, said Gary Wuchner, a spokesman for the National Park Service.
“It’s a very remote fire,” he said. “We just can’t get to it.”
Recent gusty trade winds haven’t helped, either. The fire began on March 13 after the new Kamoamoa fissure opened up in Kilauea’s eastern region.
Firefighters hope to protect a lowland rain forest that is home to endangered Hawaiian bats, happy face spiders, carnivorous caterpillars and Hawaiian honeycreepers — all found only in Hawaii, the park service said.
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