Original subtitles

Narrator: SUMMER 2018.

\h\h\h\hTWO VOLCANOES, TWO DRAMATIC ERUPTIONS.

KILAUEA IN HAWAII...

AND FUEGO, THE VOLCANO OF FIRE, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN GUATEMALA.

\h\h\hBOTH UNLEASH TERROR, BUT IN VERY DIFFERENT WAYS.

[BOOM]

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE LEFT IN FEAR...

HOMELESS AND FIGHTING \h\hFOR THEIR LIVES.

\h\hTHROUGH UNIQUE EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS

WE EXPERIENCE EVENTS \h\h\hAS THEY HAPPEN.

Man: YOU’RE PROBABLY GOING TO \h\hLOSE EVERYTHING YOU OWN.

Narrator: TWO CAMERAMEN \h\h\hRISK THEIR LIVES

TO CAPTURE THE UNFOLDING DRAMA.

Man: YOU COULD SMELL THE DEATH.

AN EXPERIENCE THAT’LL REMAIN \h\h\h\h\hIN MY MIND FOREVER.

Man: STANDING THERE ON THE ROAD,

\h\h\h\hAND THEN YOU LOOK BEHIND, AND YOU JUST SEE THIS HUGE WALL.

Narrator: USING THE LATEST \h\h\hSCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE,

WE ASK WHY THE ERUPTIONS \h\h\h\hARE SO DIFFERENT

\hAND WHY ARE THEY SO HARD TO PREDICT?

\h\h\h\h\hTHIS IS THE STORY OF TWO CATACLYSMIC EVENTS.

♪

TWO VOLCANOES: DUAL DESTRUCTION.

BIG ISLAND, HAWAII.

BLUE SKIES AND AMAZING BEACHES \h\hMAKE IT A TOURIST PARADISE.

\h\h\h\h\h\hA TOP ATTRACTION IS THE NEARBY VOLCANO OF KILAUEA,

DRAWING OVER 2 MILLION \h\h\hTOURISTS A YEAR.

\h\h\hKILAUEA IS JUST ONE OF THE ISLAND’S FIVE VOLCANOES--

BUT IT’S ONE OF THE WORLD’S \h\h\h\h\h\h\hMOST ACTIVE,

ERUPTING NON-STOP SINCE 1983.

MAY 3, 2018.

HUNDREDS OF SMALL EARTHQUAKES \h\h\h\h\hSTRIKE BIG ISLAND.

[RUMBLING]

CRACKS IN THE GROUND OPEN UP AND UNLEASH SCALDING JETS OF STEAM.

\hTHEN, AT 10:31 A.M., A POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE--

\hTHIS ONE RATING 5.0 ON THE RICHTER SCALE.

♪

Woman: YOU GUYS ALL RIGHT?

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: MATT PAGE AND HIS FAMILY

CAN’T FEEL THE EARTHQUAKE.

THEY’RE TAKING A HELICOPTER RIDE

\hTO VIEW THE ISLAND’S MOST FAMOUS VOLCANO...

\h\hAND THEY’RE ABOUT TO GET MORE THAN THEY BARGAINED FOR.

SUDDENLY, A BOILING CLOUD \h\h\h\hOF STEAM AND ASH

BURSTS THOUSANDS OF FEET \h\h\h\h\h\hINTO THE AIR.

\h\hMatt Page: THE VOLCANO WAS STARTING TO BUBBLE UP,

AND THIS CLOUD JUST GETS \h\h\h\hBIGGER AND BIGGER

AND FILLS THE WHOLE SKY,

AND WE’RE JUST KIND OF LIKE,

"WOW, THIS IS COOL, \h\hTHIS IS CRAZY.

YOU KNOW, I HAD NO IDEA IT WOULD BE LIKE THIS."

AND THEN AS THE PILOT FLEW AWAY, HE SAYS,

"I’VE BEEN DOING THIS \h\h\h\hSEVEN YEARS,

AND I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT."

I WAS KIND OF LIKE, \h"WELL, THEN, GET--

GET US THE HELL OUT OF HERE. \h\h\h\h\h\hLIKE, LET’S GO!"

[RUMBLING]

\h\hNarrator: ASH RISING FROM THE VOLCANO LOOKS IMPRESSIVE.

\h\hBUT A GREATER MENACE LURKS BENEATH THE GROUND.

MILLIONS OF TONS OF MOLTEN MAGMA

IS FORCING ITS WAY THROUGH THE EARTH.

\h\h\h\h\h\hFORTUNATELY, HAWAII’S KILAUEA VOLCANO

IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S \h\h\hMOST MONITORED.

\h\hSINCE APRIL, SCIENTISTS HAVE NOTICED THE LAVA LAKE DROPPING--

A SIGN THAT A SIGNIFICANT \h\hERUPTION MIGHT OCCUR.

\h\h\h\h\hJessica Johnson: WE COULD SEE THAT THE MAGMA

\hWAS WITHDRAWING FROM THOSE SITES.

THERE WAS GROUND DEFORMATION,

AND IT SHOWED THAT THOSE AREAS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWERE DEFLATING.

\h\h\hAND OF COURSE THERE WERE THE EARTHQUAKES THAT WERE MADE

FROM THE MAGMA PUSHING ITS WAY \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHROUGH THE ROCK.

SO WE CAN TRACK THE EARTHQUAKES

AND WE COULD SEE THAT THE MAGMA

\h\h\h\h\hWAS HEADING DOWN TOWARDS THE EAST RIFT ZONE.

Narrator: THE VOLCANO THREATENS \h\h\h\hLARGE AREAS OF HOUSING

\h\hTO THE EAST OF KILAUEA, INCLUDING LEILANI ESTATES--

HOME TO OVER 1,500 RESIDENTS.

FEW OF THEM HAVE EVER WORRIED

ABOUT LIVING IN THE SHADOW \h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF A VOLCANO

UNTIL NOW.

LOCAL OFFICIALS DECLARE \hA STATE OF EMERGENCY.

THE SMELL OF SULFUR \h\hFILLS THE AIR,

AS SLOWLY, WITH AWESOME, \h\h\hUNSTOPPABLE POWER,

KILAUEA’S FURY EMERGES.

[GAS HISSING]

ON HEARING THE NEWS,

LOCAL CAMERAMAN DEMIAN BARRIOS \h\h\h\hHEADS FOR THE ACTION--

BUT HE HAS NO IDEA \hWHAT AWAITS HIM.

Demian Barrios: I DISTINCTLY \h\h\h\hREMEMBER THAT MOMENT

WHERE I FIRST FLEW THE DRONE UP \hAND I POINTED THE CAMERA DOWN,

AND WAS A LITTLE BIT \h\h\h\hDISORIENTED,

KIND OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT \h\h\h\h\h\h\hWHERE WE WERE.

THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN \h\h\hIT JUST LOOKED

LIKE A HUGE CRACK IN THE GROUND, AND IT WAS MOVING.

AND I REMEMBER LOOKING \h\h\h\h\h\hAT MY SON,

\hAND HE LOOKED AT ME, AND HE’S LIKE, "PAPA,"

HE’S LIKE, "IS THAT LAVA?"

AND IT TOOK ABOUT A MINUTE BEFORE IT REALLY SUNK IN.

LIKE, HOLY COW, THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING, RIGHT?

\h\hNarrator: FROM ABOVE, FLAMING FISSURES OR VENTS

CAN BE SEEN BURNING A PATH \h\h\h\hTHROUGH THE FOREST.

HUNDREDS OF HOMES \hARE NOW AT RISK.

AND AS DAY 1 DRAWS TO A CLOSE,

HAWAII’S SLOW-MOTION DISASTER \h\h\h\h\hIS JUST BEGINNING.

BEFORE IT’S DONE, BIG ISLAND \h\hWILL BE CHANGED FOREVER.

WHILE THE ERUPTION IN HAWAII UNFOLDS,

8,000 KILOMETERS AWAY \hIN WASHINGTON, D.C.,

\h\h\h\hDATA IS FLOODING INTO THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION’S

GLOBAL VOLCANISM PROGRAM.

\h\hHERE, SCIENTISTS AND DATA EXPERTS ARE ON CONSTANT ALERT

\h\h\h\h\hFOR ERUPTIONS ANYWHERE ON THE PLANET.

\h\h\h\hEd Venzke: THE MISSION OF THE GLOBAL VOLCANISM PROGRAM

IS REALLY TO DOCUMENT ACTIVITY AT VOLCANOES

OVER THE PAST 10,000 YEARS.

WE KNOW FROM OUR RESEARCH

THAT THERE ARE ROUGHLY 20 VOLCANOES ERUPTING

AT ANY ONE MOMENT.

BY PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

USING CONSISTENT RULES \h\h\hOF THE DATABASE,

\h\hWE PROVIDE THIS CONTEXT FOR THE PUBLIC AND FOR SCIENTISTS.

David Pyle: IT’S ONLY BY HAVING \h\h\h\h\hLONG-TERM DATA SETS,

WHERE PEOPLE COLLECT ROUTINE INFORMATION

ABOUT VOLCANO BEHAVIOR,

THAT WE CAN START TO UNDERSTAND

THE PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOR OF INDIVIDUAL VOLCANOES.

Narrator: SCIENTISTS ARE STILL PROCESSING DATA FROM KILAUEA,

WHEN EXACTLY ONE MONTH LATER

\h\h\h\h\hTHEY RECEIVE NEWS OF ANOTHER MAJOR ERUPTION.

JUNE 3, 2018.

FOR THE PEOPLE OF GUATEMALA, \hIT’S A DAY LIKE ANY OTHER.

THE VOLCANO THAT TOWERS \h\h\h\h\h\hABOVE THEM

IS JUST PART OF THE LANDSCAPE.

♪

\h\h\hKNOWN AS FUEGO, THE VOLCANO OF FIRE,

GUATEMALA’S MOST ACTIVE VOLCANO

\h\h\h\hSITS DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO SEVERAL VILLAGES AND TOWNS.

[CHILD TALKING]

[ROOSTER CROWS]

IT’S EARLY MORNING.

\h\h\hNOTHING APPEARS OUT OF THE ORDINARY.

FUEGO’S MONITORING STATION HAS ONLY ONE SEISMOGRAPH.

IT SHOWS A RISE IN ACTIVITY,

\h\h\hBUT NOTHING TO INDICATE WHAT’S ABOUT TO BE UNLEASHED.

Francisco José Toledo: \hEARLY IN THE MORNING

ON THAT DAY, JUNE 3rd,

BULLETINS STARTED COMING IN \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAS USUAL,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT NOT A WARNING THERE COULD BE A BIG EXPLOSION.

Narrator: 1:00 P.M.

[RUMBLING]

THERE’S A MASSIVE EXPLOSION.

[BOOM]

ASH AND ROCK BLAST HIGH INTO THE AIR.

YET STRANGELY, THERE’S NO PANIC.

\hPEOPLE HAVE WITNESSED FREQUENT ASH EXPLOSIONS

FOR THE LAST 16 YEARS.

[RUMBLING]

LOCALS BELIEVE ANY FALLOUT

\h\h\hWILL SPILL INTO VALLEYS LINING THE VOLCANO’S SLOPES.

BUT SHORTLY AFTER, DISASTER STRIKES--

[PEOPLE SHOUTING]

\h\hA DEADLY AVALANCHE BURSTS OVER THE HILLS.

[SIREN]

RESIDENTS FLEE FOR THEIR LIVES.

\h\hA BOILING CLOUD OF ASH, KNOWN AS PYROCLASTIC FLOW,

FLOWS OVER 300 KILOMETERS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hPER HOUR

\hAND CAN BE SUPERHEATED TO 1,000 DEGREES CELSIUS.

♪

\hTHE SEARING ASH BURNS YOUR LUNGS.

DEATH COMES IN AN INSTANT.

Pyle: ONCE THE PYROCLASTIC FLOW

\hREACHES THE SHALLOWER OR THE FLATTER PARTS OF THE VOLCANO,

THE ASH CLOUD CAN THEN SPREAD \hOUT ACROSS THE COUNTRYSIDE.

THEY’RE IMPOSSIBLE \h\hTO ESCAPE FROM

AND IMPOSSIBLE TO OUTRUN.

Narrator: THE ERUPTION OF FUEGO, ITS LARGEST IN FOUR DECADES,

IS SO BIG IT CAN BE SEEN \h\h\h\h\h\h\hFROM SPACE.

\h\h\hASH REACHES AROUND 16 KILOMETERS IN THE AIR.

150 SQUARE KILOMETERS \h\h\h\hARE BLANKETED

IN A SUFFOCATING LAYER.

THE FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVE \h\hAROUND TWO HOURS LATER.

SHOCKING SIGHTS GREET THEM.

LOCAL JOURNALIST DAVID MERCER \h\h\h\h\h\hGRABS HIS CAMERA

\hAND HEADS STRAIGHT TO THE DISASTER ZONE.

THESE ARE AMONG THE FIRST IMAGES SENT TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

\h\h\h\h\h\hDavid Mercer: IT WAS AN INCREDIBLY SURREAL SITUATION.

\hALL OF THE SOUND WAS KIND OF MUFFLED

\hBY THIS THICK LAYER OF ASH THAT WAS COVERING EVERYTHING.

\h\h\h\hIT WAS MONOCHROME-- EVERYTHING WAS MONOCHROME.

\h\h\h\h\h\hSOME PLACES, YOU KNEW THAT THERE WAS A TWO-STORY HOUSE

AND YOU COULD JUST SEE \h\h\hTHE VERY ROOFTOP.

SO YOU KNEW THAT THERE WAS \h\h\h\hA COUPLE OF METERS

\h\h\h\h\h\hOF THIS MATERIAL, OF THIS ASH AND LAVA AND MUD,

ALL SORT OF JOINED TOGETHER.

Narrator: LIKE A MODERN VERSION \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF POMPEII,

THE LAST MOMENTS OF LIFE \h\h\hARE FROZEN IN TIME.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

Man, translated: RIGHT HERE \h\h\hMY MOTHER WAS BURIED.

MY ENTIRE FAMILY IS BURIED HERE.

RIGHT NOW HOW AM I \hSUPPOSED TO CRY?

MY HEART IS COMPLETELY BROKEN.

EVERYBODY AROUND HERE \h\hWAS MY FAMILY...

EVERYBODY.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

\h\h\h\h\h\hMan, translated: MY TWO LITTLE GRANDDAUGHTERS,

ONE 15-YEAR-OLD, ONE 8-YEAR-OLD.

\h\h\h\h\hOH, HOLY GOD, I’M LEFT WITH NOTHING.

\h\hI DON’T EVEN HAVE A CHANGE OF CLOTHES.

[WEEPING]

Mercer: GUATEMALA IS A VERY VERDANT COUNTRY, VERY GREEN.

EVERYTHING SORT OF RUSHES OUT AT YOU,

FULL OF LIFE AND COLOR.

\hAND IN THIS CASE THERE WAS NOTHING.

\hEVERYTHING WAS GRAY. EVERYTHING WAS ASHEN.

\h\h\h\hTHIS THICK CARPET OF ASH AND ROCK AND MUD,

BUT COVERED WITH THIS ASH, \h\hSO EVERYTHING WAS GRAY.

AND HOT.

THE HEAT WAS INCREDIBLE.

YOU KNOW, WALKING ALONG THE ASH,

YOU COULD ONLY WALK IN PLACES

THAT HAD BEEN TRODDEN BEFORE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hBY OTHER PEOPLE

\hBECAUSE YOU RISK OTHERWISE FALLING

THROUGH THESE METERS-THICK ASH.

AND THE HEAT WAS JUST RISING UP \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHROUGH MY BOOTS.

I HAD A GOOD PAIR OF BOOTS ON.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ENDED UP GETTING BLISTERS, YOU KNOW, HEAT SORES,

\hON THEIR FEET JUST BECAUSE OF THE INTENSITY OF THE HEAT.

AND THEN OF COURSE THERE’S \h\hDESTRUCTION ALL AROUND.

THERE’S WRECKED CARS, \h\h\h\hBURIED CARS,

HOUSES THAT HAVE BEEN DESTROYED.

SO PEOPLE CERTAINLY DIDN’T HAVE \h\h\hA LOT OF TIME TO GET OUT,

MAYBE A COUPLE OF MINUTES \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMAXIMUM.

AND THEN A LOT OF PEOPLE \h\hSIMPLY DIDN’T REALIZE

THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION,

AND THEY THOUGHT THAT THEY WOULD BE SAFER, ACTUALLY,

STAYING IN THEIR HOUSE,

SO VERY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE \h\h\h\hTO ESCAPE FROM THIS.

THE SMELL WAS ALSO SOMETHING \h\h\h\h\hTHAT YOU COULDN’T--

THAT YOU COULDN’T AVOID.

YOU COULD SMELL THE SULFUR \h\h\h\h\hFROM THE VOLCANO,

FROM THE VOLCANIC ASH \h\h\h\hAND THE LAVA.

\h\h\hYOU COULD FEEL THAT YOU WERE WALKING

OVER ALL OF THESE DEAD BODIES.

IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AN EXPERIENCE \h\h\hTHAT I WILL NEVER FORGET,

\h\hTHAT’LL REMAIN IN MY MIND FOREVER.

\hNews anchor: PARTS OF HAWAII ARE UNDER MANDATORY EVACUATION

\h\h\hAFTER ONE OF THE STATE’S MOST ACTIVE VOLCANOES ERUPTED.

Narrator: DAY 2 ON HAWAII.

BENEATH THE GROUND,

MILLIONS OF TONS OF MAGMA \h\h\h\h\hIS ON THE MOVE,

\h\hCREATING CRACKS KNOWN AS FISSURES.

Barrios: THE FISSURES INITIALLY STARTED OUT

AS VERY SMALL CRACKS,

\hSEE ALL THIS VOLCANIC GAS EMITTING OUT OF THE CRACKS,

\h\h\h\hAND THEN THE CRACKS WOULD KIND OF GET A LITTLE BIT BIGGER.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSteve Clapper: FIRE, YOU CAN SEE IT COMING.

IT DOESN’T POP RIGHT UP \h\h\hUNDER YOUR FEET.

YOU KNOW, THERE’S A CRACK \h\h\h\h\hIN THE GROUND.

\hWELL, I’VE SEEN CRACKS IN THE PAVEMENT BEFORE,

YOU KNOW, BUT I DIDN’T KNOW \h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT THAT MEANT

THAT THERE’S A LAVA TUBE \h\h\h\hUNDERNEATH THERE.

Barrios: THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW THIS FOUNTAIN WOULD BUBBLE UP,

\hAND JUST LITERALLY JUST COMING OUT OF THE GROUND.

SURELY ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING, \h\h\h\h\h\h\hMOST DESTRUCTIVE

\h\h\hAND IMPRESSIVE THINGS I’VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE.

[RUMBLING]

\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: SUDDENLY TWO MORE VIOLENT EARTHQUAKES

SHAKE THE ISLAND.

THE FIRST RATES 5.4--

THE SECOND, A MASSIVE 6.9.

THE VOLCANO ERUPTS AGAIN \h\hWITH EVEN MORE FORCE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBY DAY 3, EIGHT ERUPTIVE FISSURES

\h\h\h\h\hHAVE OPENED UP NEAR THE LEILANI ESTATES.

\h\hLAVA DESTROYS TWO HOUSES, AND THE NIGHTMARE HAS BEGUN.

[STEAM HISSING]

\hTOXIC SULFUR DIOXIDE POURS FROM THE GROUND,

CREATING A PHENOMENON \h\h\h\h\hCALLED VOG.

\h\h\h\h\h\hTamsin Mather: VOG, WHICH IS A COMBINATION

OF THE WORDS VOLCANO AND FOG,

\hARE THESE HAZY EVENTS THAT YOU GET ASSOCIATED

WITH THE VOLCANISM IN HAWAII.

SO YOU GET SULFUR DIOXIDE

COMING OFF THE FISSURE \h\h\hOR THE LAVA FLOW

\h\h\h\hAND RELEASED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.

IT THEN REACTS AND CHANGES.

IT OXIDIZES INTO SULFATE

\h\h\hWHICH FORMS THESE TINY LITTLE PARTICLES,

\h\hAND THAT CAUSES A FOGGY APPEARANCE,

WHICH IS WHAT THEY CALL VOG \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN HAWAII.

Narrator: PROLONGED EXPOSURE CAUSES HEADACHES AND NAUSEA.

AUTHORITIES PUT OUT \h\hA VOG WARNING.

News anchor: THE KILAUEA VOLCANO ON HAWAII’S BIG ISLAND

IS SHOWING NO SIGNS \h\hOF LETTING UP.

HUNDREDS OF RESIDENTS HAVE FLED DUE TO THE ONGOING EARTHQUAKES,

VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS,

\h\hAND DANGEROUS LEVELS OF TOXIC GAS IN THE AIR.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: EMERGENCY SERVICES STRUGGLE

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO EVACUATE THE WORST AFFECTED AREAS.

AND NO ONE CAN PREDICT WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT.

[WHOOSHING]

IN GUATEMALA, THE FUEGO VOLCANO \h\h\h\h\h\hCONTINUES TO ERUPT,

AND THE BODY COUNT RISES.

THE AUTHORITIES INITIALLY REPORT A DEATH TOLL OF 65.

\h\h\h\h\hOTHERS BELIEVE MANY MORE HAVE PERISHED.

[SIREN]

\hAT FIRST LIGHT, THE DESPERATE SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS CONTINUES.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

BUT THE EXPLOSIONS KEEP COMING.

[RUMBLING]

[PEOPLE SHOUTING]

PEOPLE SCRAMBLE FOR COVER,

\hAND RESCUE EFFORTS HAVE TO BE SUSPENDED.

[SIREN]

\h\h\h\hTHE SCALE OF THE ERUPTION HAS CAUGHT EVERYONE BY SURPRISE,

\h\h\h\h\hAND THE DRAMA IS ONLY JUST STARTING.

[RUMBLING]

THERE’S GROWING HORROR \h\h\h\hIN HAWAII, TOO,

AS LAVA CONTINUES TO PUMP \h\h\h\hFROM THE GROUND.

THE ERUPTION IS ON TRACK

TO BECOME THE BIGGEST \h\hIN LIVING MEMORY.

♪

IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREA \h\hOF LEILANI ESTATES

\h\h\h\h\hIN THE RIFT ZONE TO THE EAST OF THE VOLCANO,

ANOTHER 24 HOMES ARE DESTROYED.

\h15 ACTIVE FISSURES ARE NOW PUMPING OUT

GROWING QUANTITIES \hOF BOILING LAVA.

[FIRE CRACKLING]

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSINCE DAY ONE, LOCAL CAMERAMAN DEMIAN BARRIOS

HAS BEEN RISKING LIFE AND LIMB

TO DOCUMENT KILAUEA’S ERUPTION \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAS IT UNFOLDS.

\h\h\h\h\hBarrios: THE GROUND WOULD KIND OF SHAKE AROUND IT

AND BUBBLE UP, AND THEN \hAS THAT FOUNTAIN GREW

\h\hIT WOULD JUST BECOME THIS MASSIVE FOUNTAINING,

\h\h\h\h\hJUST LAVA COMING STRAIGHT OUT OF THE EARTH.

AND TO BE WALKING THROUGH THERE

\h\h\h\hAND SEEING THESE FISSURES OPEN UP AND TAKE PEOPLE’S HOMES,

I MEAN, IT WAS VERY IMPACTFUL, \h\h\h\hIT WAS VERY EMOTIONAL.

[RUMBLING]

Narrator: WHILE THE ERUPTION \h\h\h\h\h\hOF KILAUEA GROWS,

\hBY DAY 7 IN GUATEMALA, ACTIVITY HAS DIED DOWN...

AND THE SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS OVER.

RESCUE CREWS NOW HAVE \h\h\h\hTHE GRIM TASK

OF RECOVERING THE BODIES \h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE DEAD.

\h\h\hTHE DEATH TOLL HAS NOW RISEN TO 99,

BUT HUNDREDS MORE REMAIN \h\h\h\hUNACCOUNTED FOR.

SO WHY WAS THE ERUPTION OF FUEGO SO DEADLY

WHEN IN HAWAII THERE’S BEEN \h\h\h\h\hNO LOSS OF LIFE?

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE ANSWERS LIE IN THE VERY DIFFERENT GEOLOGY

OF THE TWO VOLCANOES.

HAWAII IS WHAT’S KNOWN \hAS A SHIELD VOLCANO,

\h\hWHILE GUATEMALA IS A STRATOVOLCANO.

THEIR DIFFERENT SHAPES

ARE THE CLUE TO THEIR \hINNATE DIFFERENCES.

\h\h\hFUEGO LOOKS LIKE YOUR TYPICAL VOLCANO--

IT’S TALL, CONICAL, STEEP,

\h\h\h\h\h\hAND TOWERS OVER 3,600 METERS HIGH.

LIKE ALL STRATOVOLCANOES, \hFUEGO’S CONE IS COMPOSED

\h\h\hOF LAYER UPON LAYER OF HARDENED LAVA AND ASH,

\h\h\hBUILT UP FROM PREVIOUS ERUPTIONS.

THIS BUILDUP ACTS LIKE A BUNG,

\h\hBLOCKING THE ERUPTION AND BUILDING UP PRESSURE INSIDE,

UNTIL IT FINALLY GIVES WAY \h\h\hAND ERUPTS VIOLENTLY,

OUT OF ONE MAIN VENT.

Pyle: ONE OF THE DEADLIEST WAYS \h\h\hTHAT A VOLCANO CAN ERUPT

IS IN A HOT AVALANCHE OF ROCK, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hASH AND PUMICE,

AND THESE ARE OFTEN CALLED \h\h\h\hPYROCLASTIC FLOWS.

\h\h\hESSENTIALLY, IT’S A HOT AVALANCHE OF BROKEN-UP MAGMA.

SO WHEN THE MAGMA HAS ERUPTED \h\h\h\h\hOUT OF THE VOLCANO,

IT’LL FORM SOMETIMES \h\h\h\hLARGE BLOCKS,

AND THEN THE WHOLE MASS \h\h\h\hTHEN COLLAPSES

JUST LIKE A SNOW AVALANCHE,

\h\h\h\h\h\hEXCEPT IT’S AT A MUCH HIGHER TEMPERATURE.

\hIT WILL THEN RACE DOWN THE SIDE OF THE VOLCANO.

[RUMBLING]

Narrator: FUEGO HAS BEEN ACTIVE \h\h\h\hFOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS--

WITH MINIMAL THREAT \h\hTO HUMAN LIFE.

\hIN FACT, IT’S BEEN FREQUENTLY ERUPTING FOR THE LAST 16 YEARS.

SCIENTISTS NOW REALIZE \h\h\h\hIT WAS BUILDUP

FROM A CENTURY OF ERUPTIONS THAT MADE THE LATEST ONE SO DEADLY.

THE VALLEYS BELOW FUEGO WERE SIMPLY OVERFLOWING

WITH DEBRIS FROM PAST ERUPTIONS.

NORMALLY WHEN A PYROCLASTIC FLOW

HURTLED DOWN THE SLOPES \h\h\h\hABOVE THE TOWN,

\h\h\hIT WOULD FLOW AROUND IT, FOLLOWING A BEND IN THE VALLEY.

THIS TIME, SO MUCH DEBRIS \hIS BLOCKING THE VALLEY

THAT THE PYROCLASTIC FLOW \h\h\hHITS IT, JUMPS OVER

AND HEADS STRAIGHT INTO TOWN.

Mather: WHEN THE VOLCANO \hWENT OFF IN GUATEMALA,

I THINK IT MUST HAVE BEEN \hABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING.

AN EXPLOSION FROM THE VOLCANO \h\h\h\h\h\h\hWASN’T UNUSUAL,

\h\hBUT THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY MUCH LARGER EXPLOSION

THAN THEY WERE USED TO.

AND THEN THIS PYROCLASTIC FLOW

WOULD HAVE COME CHARGING \h\h\h\hDOWN THE VALLEY,

AND THERE WAS VERY LITTLE CHANCE FOR THEM AT THAT STAGE

TO ESCAPE.

[PEOPLE SHOUTING]

\hNarrator: FUEGO SITS ON THE RING OF FIRE--

A LINE OF VOLCANOES THAT CIRCLES THE EDGE OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

THE EARTH’S CRUST IS COMPOSED \h\h\h\hOF TECTONIC PLATES--

MASSIVE SLABS OF ROCK.

VOLCANOES OCCUR WHERE THESE PLATES COLLIDE.

\h75% OF THE EARTH’S VOLCANOES ARE FOUND ON THE RING OF FIRE--

AROUND 450 IN TOTAL.

HAWAII IS DIFFERENT.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIT SITS ALONE IN THE CENTER OF THE PACIFIC,

ABOVE WHAT’S KNOWN \h\hAS A HOT SPOT,

\h\h\hWHERE A PLUME OF SUPERHEATED ROCK

RISES FROM THE MANTLE DEEP INSIDE THE EARTH.

THE RESULT IS A SHIELD VOLCANO.

KILAUEA IS FLATTER THAN FUEGO

AND ONLY AROUND 1,200 METERS \h\h\h\h\h\hABOVE SEA LEVEL.

\h\hMather: SO A SHIELD VOLCANO IS NAMED AFTER KIND OF THE IDEA

OF A SHIELD LYING ON THE LANDSCAPE.

\hSO IT’S A VERY BROAD FEATURE WITH A RELATIVELY LOW GRADIENT

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hCOMING UP TO SOME SORT OF SUMMIT.

Narrator: WHILE A SHIELD VOLCANO CAN ERUPT FROM THE SUMMIT,

IT’S NOT UNCOMMON FOR MAGMA \hTO SEEK A DIFFERENT PATH,

ONE OF LEAST RESISTANCE.

BENEATH THE GROUND

IT CARVES OUT A LABYRINTH \hOF UNDERGROUND TUNNELS.

INSULATED FROM THE AIR, \h\hHOT MAGMA CAN POUR

\h\h\h\hALONG THIS NATURAL PLUMBING SYSTEM FOR MILES,

\h\hBEFORE IT BURSTS THROUGH THE SURFACE.

Johnson: THERE WERE POCKETS \hOF MAGMA UNDER THE GROUND

DOWN IN THE LOWER EAST RIFT ZONE

\hTHAT WERE LEFT OVER FROM THE ERUPTIONS IN THE ’50s AND ’60s,

\h\h\h\h\h\hAND SO WHEN THIS NEW MAGMA ARRIVED,

IT KIND OF PUSHED OUT \h\h\h\hTHE OLD STUFF

BEFORE IT COULD GET \h\hTO THE SURFACE.

Narrator: THIS HALF-CENTURY-OLD \h\h\hMAGMA IS RELATIVELY COOL

AND COMPARATIVELY THICK \h\h\h\h\hAND VISCOUS.

YET ONCE FORCED OUT,

\h\h\h\h\hFRESHER, RUNNIER AND MORE EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL

FROM DEEP WITHIN THE VOLCANO \h\h\h\h\h\hTAKES ITS PLACE.

[RUMBLING]

BY DAY 9 IN HAWAII,

15 FISSURES ARE NOW THREATENING \hHOMES TO THE EAST OF KILAUEA.

IT’S A TERRIFYING TIME \h\h\h\h\h\hFOR LOCALS.

JACKLYNN RUGGIRELLO \hEVACUATES THE AREA

WHEN GAS VENTS APPEAR \h\h\h\hON HER LAND.

\h\hJacklynn Ruggirello: WE HAD A 6.9 EARTHQUAKE.

\h\h\hWITHIN A FEW DAYS OF THAT 6.9 EARTHQUAKE,

\hA VERY LARGE CRACK STARTED DEVELOPING ON OUR PROPERTY,

AND THEN ALSO STEAM STARTED PUMPING OUT

OF THE WHOLE LOWER PART \h\h\hOF OUR PROPERTY.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: LOCAL RESIDENT BRUCE OMORI

MAKES A LIVING PHOTOGRAPHING \h\h\h\h\hHAWAII’S VOLCANOES.

YET EVEN HE WASN’T PREPARED FOR THE GROWING ACTIVITY THIS TIME.

\hBruce Omori: EXPLOSIONS GOING OFF AND LAVA BOMBS,

YOU KNOW, FLYING IN THE AIR.

I MEAN, CHUNKS AS...

BIGGER THAN THIS DESK, \h\h\hYOU KNOW, FLYING,

AND FOR A WHILE WE COULD SEE THEM APPROACHING US,

YOU KNOW, BOOM!

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: DESPITE THE DESTRUCTION

OF LAND AND PROPERTY,

\h\h\hTO DATE THERE’S BEEN NO LOSS OF LIFE IN HAWAII.

THE EXTENSIVE MONITORING \h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF KILAUEA

BY GEOLOGISTS OVER MANY YEARS

ENABLES AUTHORITIES TO WARN \h\h\h\hAND EVACUATE LOCALS

IN PLENTY OF TIME.

\h\h\hA VOLCANO OBSERVATORY WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE EARLY 1900s.

EVER SINCE, SCIENTISTS HAVE KEPT A DETAILED RECORD OF EVENTS,

INCLUDING THE SERIOUS ERUPTION \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF 1924.

THIS DATA PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN SAVING LIVES.

\h\h\hVenzke: THE OBSERVATORY DID ACTUALLY A VERY GOOD JOB

OF TELLING PEOPLE

\h\h\hWHERE THE ERUPTIONS WERE GOING TO BREAK OUT.

\hTHEY WERE FOLLOWING THE SMALL EARTHQUAKES

\h\h\hTHAT TRACKED WHERE THE LAVA WAS UNDERGROUND.

IN A BROAD SENSE, THEY KNEW

WHERE THESE FISSURES \hWERE GOING TO FORM

AND WERE ABLE TO ADVISE \h\h\hLOCAL GOVERNMENT

AND EVACUATE THE PEOPLE.

\h\h\hMatthew Watson: PREDICTING VOLCANOES

IS THE VOLCANOLOGIST’S \h\h\h\h\h\hHOLY GRAIL.

CERTAINLY WHAT WE CAN DO \h\h\hIS LOOK FOR SIGNALS

THAT SUGGEST THAT A VOLCANO \hMIGHT BE ABOUT TO ERUPT,

AND WE REALLY DO THAT \hIN THREE BROAD WAYS,

THE FIRST OF WHICH IS TO LOOK \h\h\h\hAT LITTLE EARTHQUAKES

THAT OCCUR BENEATH THE VOLCANO,

\hAND WE ALSO LOOK AT VOLCANIC GASES,

AND THEN THIRDLY WE LOOK \h\h\h\hFOR DEFORMATION,

SO WHETHER OR NOT THE VOLCANO \hIS EXPANDING OR CONTRACTING.

\h\hNarrator: BUT FOR AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM TO BE EFFECTIVE,

SCIENTISTS NEED AN ARRAY \h\hOF MONITORING TOOLS.

\h\hAT FUEGO, ALL THEY HAVE IS ONE SIMPLE SEISMOGRAPH.

THIS TOLD THEM THE ERUPTION \h\h\h\h\h\h\hWAS LIKELY--

BUT NOT HOW SERIOUS IT WOULD BE.

\h\h\h\h\h\hAS A RESULT, WHEN THE PYROCLASTIC FLOW

\h\h\hHEADED FOR THE TOWN OF SAN MIGUEL LOS LOTES,

RESIDENTS HAD JUST MINUTES \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO EVACUATE.

\h\h\hAND NOW, JUST AS SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS

ARE GETTING A GRIP ON THE SITUATION,

THE RAINY SEASON BRINGS \h\h\h\hA NEW THREAT--

DEADLY MUDSLIDES CALLED LAHARS.

IN GUATEMALA, IT’S NINE DAYS \h\h\h\h\hSINCE THE ERUPTION.

TORRENTIAL RAIN IS FALLING \h\h\hON TONS OF LOOSE ASH.

RIVERS OF MUD ARE UNLEASHED.

RESCUE WORKERS EVACUATE IN FEAR OF THEIR LIVES.

Watson: IT RAINS A LOT \h\h\h\hIN THE TROPICS,

PARTICULARLY ON THE FLANKS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF FUEGO.

THE METEOROLOGY THERE

\h\h\h\hJUST BASICALLY MEANS IT’S A RAIN-MAKING MACHINE--

AND THE MATERIAL IS VERY LOOSE, \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIT’S VERY MOBILE,

\h\hSO EVERY TIME IT RAINS, WE GENERATE THESE HUGE MUDSLIDES.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: INFRASTRUCTURE IS DESTROYED;

BRIDGES SWEPT AWAY; VILLAGES FLATTENED.

\h\h\hIT’S AN UNFOLDING HUMANITARIAN DISASTER--

ONE THAT LOCAL JOURNALIST \h\h\h\h\h\hDAVID MERCER

\hHAS BEEN DOCUMENTING SINCE ERUPTIONS BEGAN.

Mercer: WELL, AFTER THIS FIRST ERUPTION

THERE WERE MORE ERUPTIONS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAS WELL.

NOW THIS HAD A BIG EFFECT ON THE RESCUE OPERATIONS.

THERE WAS A LOT RAIN THAT WAS-- \h\hTHAT WAS COMING IN AS WELL,

THAT WAS BRINGING DOWN, \h\h\h\h\h\h\hYOU KNOW,

\h\h\hHAD THE POTENTIAL TO BRING MUDSLIDES DOWN

\h\h\h\h\h\hON TOP OF SOME OF THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES AS WELL.

\h\h\h\hTHE AFTERNOONS WERE BASICALLY NO-NOs.

THE RAIN USUALLY COMES \h\h\hIN THE AFTERNOON,

\h\h\h\h\h\hSO AT AROUND MIDDAY, EVERYBODY HAD TO LEAVE THE SITE.

\h\h\hTHAT WAS WHETHER, YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU WERE A FAMILY MEMBER

LOOKING FOR MISSING FAMILY,

WHETHER YOU WERE A REPORTER,

WHETHER YOU WERE A RESCUE WORKER.

EVERYBODY HAD TO LEAVE \h\h\h\h\hAROUND NOON.

SO THAT REALLY SLOWED DOWN \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOPERATIONS.

[SIREN]

Narrator: IN THE LAST CENTURY,

PYROCLASTIC FLOWS HAVE KILLED \h\h\h\h\hTENS OF THOUSANDS.

SO HAVE LAHARS--AND THESE \h\hRIVERS OF DESTRUCTION

CAN STRIKE MANY YEARS \hAFTER AN ERUPTION.

Mercer: THERE WAS ALSO \h\h\hMORE EVACUATIONS

\h\h\h\h\h\hAS, YOU KNOW, THE ERUPTIONS CONTINUED,

AND AS MORE RAIN FELL DOWN,

MORE COMMUNITIES WERE, \h\h\h\hWERE EVACUATED,

AND AS THE SCALE OF THE DISASTER STARTED TO BECOME CLEAR,

\h\h\h\h\hAS THE NUMBER OF DEAD AND MISSING CONTINUED TO GROW,

\hTHEY WERE TAKING MORE PRECAUTIONS.

THE TEMPORARY SHELTERS

BECAME MORE AND MORE PACKED \h\h\h\h\h\h\hWITH PEOPLE.

\h\h\hNarrator: AS CONDITIONS ON THE MOUNTAIN DETERIORATE,

THE AUTHORITIES ARE LEFT \h\h\h\h\hWITH NO OPTION

\h\h\h\h\hBUT TO SUSPEND ALL SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS.

[HELICOPTER]

WHILE THE RESCUE OPERATION STOPS,

\hFAR ABOVE IN SPACE, NASA KEEPS A WATCHFUL EYE ON THE SITUATION.

SINCE FUEGO FIRST ERUPTED,

SATELLITES HAVE BEEN TAKING 400 IMAGES OF THE VOLCANO EVERY DAY.

\h\hTHERMAL CAMERAS REVEAL THAT TEMPERATURES IN THE ASH-FIELDS

ARE STILL AROUND 6 DEGREES \h\h\h\h\h\hCELSIUS HIGHER

THAN THE SURROUNDING COUNTRY.

♪

\h\h\h\h\hTHE SUBSURFACE REMAINS DANGEROUSLY HOT.

\h\hTHIS LINGERING HEAT CAN GIVE VOLCANOLOGISTS

\h\h\h\h\h\hIMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE MAKEUP OF THE VOLCANO.

DISASTER RESPONSE \hMAY EVEN BE ABLE

TO USE THERMAL DATA LIKE THIS

\h\h\h\h\hTO AID IN FUTURE SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORTS,

SHOWING WHERE THE PYROCLASTIC \h\h\hFLOWS WERE CONCENTRATED

AND THEREFORE WHERE TO SEARCH \h\h\h\h\h\h\hFOR SURVIVORS.

\h\hMather: WITH THINGS LIKE MORE AND MORE SATELLITE DATA,

WE’RE MOVING INTO AN ERA \h\h\h\hOF MORE GLOBAL...

\h\h\hGLOBAL DATABASES AND GLOBAL REPOSITORY,

\h\hAND I THINK THAT COULD BE VERY POWERFUL IN THE FUTURE.

[RUMBLING]

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: 7,000 KILOMETERS TO THE WEST,

\h\h\hA NEW ERUPTION SENDS A PLUME OF ASH

\hOVER 3 KILOMETERS HIGH ABOVE HAWAII’S KILAUEA.

♪

FORTUNATELY, TRADE WINDS \h\hCARRY MOST OF THE ASH

HARMLESSLY OUT TO SEA.

YET THE SCALE OF THE PLUME \h\h\h\h\hIS A BIG CONCERN.

HAWAIIANS ARE USED TO SEEING \h\hTHIS VOLCANO ON SIMMER--

IT HASN’T BEHAVED THIS VIOLENTLY

SINCE THE CATACLYSMIC ERUPTIONS \h\h\h\h\h\hOF 1924 AND 1790--

\h\h\h\hAN INDICATION THAT THINGS COULD BE

\h\h\h\hABOUT TO TAKE A TURN FOR THE WORSE.

\h\h\hAND JUST ONE DAY LATER, EARTHQUAKES SHAKE THE REGION.

[RUMBLING]

\h\hJoe Laceby: YOU CAN REALLY FEEL THEM, EVEN THE SMALL ONES,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hYOU CAN-- IF YOU DON’T FEEL THEM,

YOU’LL SEE SOMETHING IN THE HOUSE SHAKE,

JUST WIGGLE A LITTLE BIT,

\h\h\hBUT SOME OF THE LARGER ONES WILL ALMOST VIBRATE THE WINDOWS,

\h\h\h\h\h\hAND YOU CAN SEE THE TELEPHONE POLES OUTSIDE

AND THE TREES ALL SHAKING.

\h\hNarrator: WHILE ON HAWAII SMALL EARTHQUAKES ARE COMMON,

THIS TIME THEY HOLD \hA WORRYING SECRET,

ONE THAT SCIENTISTS CAN USE

TO PREDICT WHERE THE VOLCANO \h\h\h\h\h\hWILL ERUPT NEXT.

\h\h\h\h\h\hMatt Patrick: THERE’S A VERY CLEAR LINK

BETWEEN EARTHQUAKES \h\hAND VOLCANOES.

\h\hTHE EARTHQUAKES BASICALLY REPRESENT

\h\h\h\hWHERE MAGMA IS INTRUDING THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE VOLCANO.

\hSO IF YOU HAVE MAGMA, LIKE A BLADE OF MAGMA UNDERGROUND

THAT’S KIND OF FORCING ITS WAY \h\h\h\h\h\hTHROUGH THE GROUND.

Johnson: THE MAGMA IS PUSHING \h\hITS WAY THROUGH THE ROCK

AND BREAKING IT TO MAKE A PATH.

\h\hAND WE CAN RECORD ALL OF THOSE LITTLE--

\hLITTLE EARTHQUAKES TO TRY AND TRACK WHERE THE MAGMA IS GOING.

\h\hON TOP OF THE EARTHQUAKES, WE ALSO SAW THE GROUND CRACKS.

\hTHE CRACKS STARTED FUMING, HAD GAS COMING OUT OF THEM,

SO THAT WAS--THAT WAS CLUES

\h\h\h\h\hTHAT THE MAGMA WAS REALLY CLOSE TO THE SURFACE.

SO IT WAS--IT WAS A FORECAST

THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE \h\h\h\hAN ERUPTION THERE.

Narrator: MOST IN DANGER NOW \h\h\h\h\hIS LEILANI ESTATES,

HOME TO 1,500 PEOPLE.

21 FISSURES HAVE OPENED UP,

\hAND LARGE LAVA FLOWS ARE BEGINNING TO FORM.

[HISSING]

IN RESPONSE TO A RAISED THREAT \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO HUMAN LIFE,

THE AUTHORITIES ORDER A MANDATORY EVACUATION

OF ALL HOUSES IN THE AREA.

MOST RESIDENTS LEAVE,

\h\h\hBUT UNCERTAINTY KEEPS SOME HANGING ON

\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE HOPE OF SAVING THEIR HOMES.

Mike Arends: I LOOKED AROUND,

AND I SAID, "I’M NOT GOING \h\h\h\h\hTO EVACUATE YET--

I’M GOING, YOU KNOW, STICK IT OUT AND SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING."

WE’RE ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES, \h\h\h\h\h\hBUT YOU NEVER KNOW,

TOMORROW WE COULD BE \h\h\hTHE HOUSE GONE.

IT’S THAT KIND OF STRESS.

\h\h\h\hDon Waguespack: YOU SUCCUMB TO THE FACT

\hTHAT YOU’RE PROBABLY GOING TO LOSE EVERYTHING YOU OWN,

AND THAT IN ITSELF IS TOUGH.

\h\hWE EVACUATED TWICE IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS.

KIND OF SCARY TIMES, YOU KNOW, \h\h\h\h\h\hTO BE QUITE HONEST.

THIS IS IT FOR US.

Narrator: BUT THERE ARE NO SIGNS

KILAUEA IS CALMING DOWN \h\h\h\h\h\h\hJUST YET.

IF ANYTHING, IT’S GETTING \h\hMORE AND MORE ACTIVE.

\h\h\h\hOVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS, A ROW OF 23 FISSURES OPENS UP.

Barrios: WE’D HEAR A RUMBLE,

AND THEN YOU COULD HEAR \h\hLIKE AN EXPLOSION,

\h\h\h\h\hAND WE’D LOOK UP, AND IT WOULD BE LIKE, "HUH,

THERE IT IS," RIGHT, AND YOU’D SEE THIS NEW PLUME COMING OUT.

Narrator: DESPITE THE RISK \h\h\h\h\h\hOF LAVA BOMBS,

DEMIAN BARRIOS IS STILL FILMING.

Barrios: THERE WAS ONE TIME \hWHERE MY INTUITION TOLD ME

THAT I SHOULD LEAVE.

THERE WAS THIS HUGE EXPLOSION,

AND I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO RAIN DOWN LAVA BOMBS.

AND SURE ENOUGH I LOOKED UP,

\h\h\hTHERE WAS A COUPLE OF LARGE-SIZED LAVA BOMBS

THAT WERE COMING TOWARDS ME.

\h\hYOU KNOW, BIG ENOUGH TO DEFINITELY HAVE KILLED ME.

\h\h\h\h\h\hAND THAT WAS A MOMENT WHERE I REALIZED THAT, YOU KNOW,

I NEEDED TO TREAD LIGHTLY.

\h\hNarrator: THE ERUPTION OF KILAUEA IS NOW ON TRACK

TO BE THE WORST ERUPTION \h\h\h\h\h\hIN A CENTURY.

17 DAYS SINCE FUEGO ERUPTED.

\h\h\h\hHUNDREDS OF HOUSES WERE DESTROYED IN THE INITIAL BLAST,

AND MANY MORE ARE CURRENTLY \h\hTHREATENED BY MUDSLIDES

FOLLOWING THE HEAVY RAINS.

YET IT’S NOT JUST HOMES.

17,000 SMALL-SCALE FARMERS

HAVE HAD THEIR CROPS RUINED \h\h\h\h\h\hBY THE VOLCANO

AND STRUGGLE TO SAVE \h\h\h\hWHAT’S LEFT.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

Rolando Zuleta, translated: \hTHE CORN SHOULD BE GREEN,

IT SHOULD BE REALLY GREEN,

AND BY NOW IT SHOULD BE \h\h\h\h\hREADY TO EAT!

\h\h\hBUT NOW, BECAUSE OF THE ERUPTION, THERE’S HARDLY ANY.

IT’S PRETTY HOPELESS.

IT’S POSSIBLE THAT WE WON’T BE \h\h\hABLE TO HARVEST ANYTHING.

Narrator: 140 SQUARE KILOMETERS \h\hOF FARMLAND LIES IN RUINS.

LIVESTOCK LIE DEAD, CHOKED AND ROASTED BY THE SCORCHING ASH.

DESPITE GOVERNMENT AID,

\h\hGUATEMALA MUST NOW ADD HUNGER TO ITS GROWING LIST OF TROUBLES.

BACK IN HAWAII,

THE VOLCANIC FISSURES HAVE BECOME SO ACTIVE

THEY’VE CREATED MASSIVE RIVERS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF MOLTEN ROCK.

Venzke: SO IF YOU THINK \hABOUT A RIVER, RIGHT,

WATER ALWAYS GOES DOWN \hTHROUGH THE VALLEYS,

IT SEEKS TO ALWAYS GO DOWNHILL.

AND THAT’S THE SAME CASE \h\h\h\h\hFOR LAVA FLOWS.

Narrator: YET, UNLIKE WATER, THESE RIVERS OF DESTRUCTION

CAN BUST AND BURN THEIR WAY \h\h\hTHROUGH ANY OBSTACLE.

17 DAYS AFTER KILAUEA \h\h\hFIRST ERUPTED,

LAVA FINALLY ENCOUNTERS \h\h\h\h\hTHE PACIFIC.

THE ERUPTION IS ABOUT TO RESHAPE THE ISLAND.

19 DAYS AFTER THE ERUPTION \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF KILAUEA,

\h\h\h\h\hLAVA IS POURING INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN--

WITH EXPLOSIVE RESULTS.

\hMather: YOU’VE GOT VERY, VERY HOT LAVA

COMING INTO CONTACT \hWITH THE SEAWATER,

SO YOU GET FLASH BOILING \h\h\h\hOF THE SEAWATER.

\h\h\h\h\h\hYOU GET SOME, SOME CHEMISTRY GOING ON,

\h\h\hSO YOU GET THINGS LIKE HYDROCHLORIC ACID

BEING PRODUCED, WHICH IS PARTLY FROM THE CHEMICALS IN THE LAVA,

BUT ALSO FROM THE CHEMICALS \hTHAT YOU HAVE IN SEAWATER.

Pyle: YOU GET A FOG OR A HAZE,

WHICH INCLUDE BOTH TINY, TINY \hPARTICLES OF VOLCANIC GLASS

\h\hAND ALSO DROPLETS OF ACID MATERIALS FROM THE SEAWATER.

Narrator: THIS TOXIC FOG, \h\h\h\h\hKNOWN AS LAZE,

FORCES THE COAST GUARD

TO DECLARE A SAFETY ZONE \h\h\h\h\h300 METERS OUT.

BUT TOURIST BOATS DRAW EVER CLOSER,

\hOBLIVIOUS TO THE DANGER THAT THE WIND COULD CHANGE DIRECTION

AND SEND THE DEADLY FOG \h\h\h\h\h\hTHEIR WAY.

AND THAT’S NOT THE ONLY PERIL.

\h\hWHEN LAVA HITS COLD WATER IT CAN EXPLODE INTO THE AIR,

SCATTERING CHUNKS OF SEARING \h\hROCK CALLED "LAVA BOMBS."

\hMather: A LAVA BOMB IS A CHUNK OF LAVA ABOUT THIS SORT OF SIZE,

AND IT’S OFTEN SORT OF DESCRIBED AS THE BOMB

WHEN IT’S BEEN THROWN OUT \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN SOME WAY

FROM THE VOLCANIC ACTIVITY.

♪

♪

Narrator: INCREASING LAVA FLOWS \h\h\h\h\h\hARE NOW THREATENING

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hEVACUATED HOMES IN THE NEARBY LEILANI ESTATES.

♪

LOCAL CAMERAMAN DEMIAN BARRIOS

\h\hIS ON HAND TO CAPTURE THE ACTION AS IT UNFOLDS.

Barrios: WE WERE STANDING THERE, STANDING ON THE ROAD

\hWATCHING THESE LOBES OF LAVA SLOWLY START TO COVER THE ROAD

MAYBE 5 FEET THICK, \h\h10 FEET THICK,

AND THEN YOU’D LOOK BEHIND

AND YOU WOULD JUST SEE \h\h\h\hTHIS HUGE WALL,

ALMOST LIKE A BULLDOZER JUST COMING DOWN, SMACK,

LITERALLY SMASHING THE FOREST,

FLOPPING TREES DOWN \h\h\hON THEIR SIDE

BEFORE IT ACTUALLY \h\hCONSUMED THEM.

\h\hNarrator: ALL RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO LEAVE.

\h\hONE BY ONE, PEOPLE’S DREAMS ARE DEVOURED BY RIVERS OF FIRE.

RESCUE TEAMS SCOUR THE AREA \h\h\h\hWITH FLASHLIGHTS--

\h\h\h\hCHECKING FOR ANYONE STILL LEFT IN THEIR HOME...

\h\hGUIDED BY THE EYE IN THE SKY OF AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE DRONES.

DEMIAN IS THERE, TOO, DETERMINED TO DOCUMENT

\hTHE LAST MOMENTS OF LEILANI ESTATES.

Barrios: SITTING THERE WATCHING

\h\h\h\h\hTHIS THRIVING NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY

SLOWLY TURNING INTO \hA DISASTER ZONE,

I FELT VERY, VERY HELPLESS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: LOCAL RESIDENT TRAVIS SANDERS

CAN’T TEAR HIMSELF AWAY.

\h\h\hHE WAITS UNTIL THE VERY LAST MINUTE

TO SAY FAREWELL TO HIS HOME.

\hTravis Sanders: SO RIGHT THERE IS THE HOUSE, THAT TINY HOUSE--

AND THAT’S THE LAVA \hRIGHT IN THE BUSH.

I LIVED--I LIVED IN THIS HOUSE \hFOR ABOUT A COUPLE OF YEARS.

\h\h\h\hAND OH, YEAH, AND THERE’S A FISSURE

THAT POPPED UP THERE, GUYS-- \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIT’S RAGING.

WHEN THAT LAVA WRAPPED AROUND \h\hTHE PROPERTY, IT WAS HOT.

WE KNEW IT WAS OVER FOR US.

[EXPLOSION]

THAT’S A CAR.

\hIF WE DIDN’T LEAVE AT THE TIME WE DID,

WE WOULDN’T EVEN BE HERE.

\hIT’S GOING TO BE ABOUT TIME TO GO.

ANYTIME HERE, I’M GOING TO \hHAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE.

[FROGS CHIRPING]

\h\hNarrator: THE NUMBER OF BUILDINGS DESTROYED BY LAVA

\h\h\hAROUND LEILANI LEAPS FROM 50 TO 82.

[FLAMES CRACKLING]

HOMES MAY HAVE BEEN DESTROYED,

BUT TO DATE NO LIVES \h\h\hHAVE BEEN LOST

FROM THE CURRENT ERUPTIONS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hAT KILAUEA...

\h\h\h\h\hTHANKS PARTLY TO EXTENSIVE MONITORING

OF HAWAII’S VOLCANOES \hFOR OVER A CENTURY

AND ALSO TO EFFECTIVE \h\h\hCOMMUNICATION.

\h\h\h\hJohnson: THE BEST MODEL FOR THAT SORT OF COMMUNICATION

IS CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION.

IT’S NOT UP TO THE GEOLOGISTS \hAND THE VOLCANO OBSERVATORY

\h\h\hTO MAKE THE CALL AS TO WHEN TO EVACUATE.

IT’S UP TO THOSE DECISION MAKERS TO MAKE THAT CALL.

\h\hALL WE AS SCIENTISTS CAN DO IS UPDATE THEM ON THE ACTIVITY,

\h\h\h\h\h\hTELL THEM ABOUT OUR UNCERTAINTIES AS WELL.

Narrator: DAY 33.

\h\h\h\h\h\hNO ONE REMAINS IN THE WRECKAGE OF LEILANI.

THERE ARE NOW 24 FISSURES.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFISSURE 8 IS THE MOST ACTIVE VENT

\h\h\h\h\h\hAND HAS GROWN TO ENORMOUS PROPORTIONS.

FAST-FLOWING TORRENTS \h\h\hOF MOLTEN ROCK

LIKE A RIVER DELTA.

\h\hIT SPLITS INTO A NUMBER OF TONGUES BEFORE REJOINING

TO LEAVE ISLANDS OF LAND MAROONED BY MOLTEN ROCK.

NOW THE SCORCHING RIVER CLAIMS ITS NEXT VICTIM.

TURNING SOUTH, IT BURNS \h\hTHROUGH THE FOREST

\h\h\h\h\hAND HEADS FOR A LOCAL BEAUTY SPOT CALLED GREEN LAKE--

THE LARGEST LAKE ON THE ISLAND \hAND A POPULAR SWIMMING HOLE.

Barrios: FISSURE 8 WITH THIS... \h\h\h\h\hYOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT?

\hAN EIGHT-MILE-LONG HUGE RIVER OF LAVA--

CAME AROUND THE NORTHWEST SIDE \h\h\h\h\h\hOF GREEN MOUNTAIN.

\hAND IT EVAPORATED THE LAKE IN GREEN MOUNTAIN COMPLETELY.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: IT TAKES JUST SIX HOURS

\h\h\h\hFOR THE LAVA TO BOIL THE LAKE DRY.

\hTHE LAVA RIVER REACHES THE PACIFIC AND FILLS KAPAHO BAY.

JUST 14 HOURS LATER,

THE NEW LAVA DELTA STRETCHES OUT FOR OVER A KILOMETER.

SINCE ERUPTIONS BEGAN ON MAY 3, \h\h\h\hKILAUEA HAS SPEWED OUT

\h\hAROUND 115 MILLION CUBIC METERS OF LAVA...

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hENOUGH TO FILL 46,000 OLYMPIC SWIMMING POOLS.

THE SHAPE OF HAWAII’S BIG ISLAND IS BEING TRANSFORMED.

[HELICOPTER]

\h\h\h\hIT’S A MONTH SINCE THE ERUPTION IN GUATEMALA.

MISSING PRESUMED DEAD \hNOW STANDS AT 332.

IT’S SPECULATION; NO ONE KNOWS

HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE LIVING HERE BEFORE THE ERUPTION.

THE NUMBER OF DEAD

MAY EVENTUALLY REACH INTO THE THOUSANDS.

\h\hFUNERAL PROCESSIONS ARE NOW A COMMON SIGHT IN THE VALLEYS.

FOR SOME, THERE’S SOLACE

IN KNOWING WHAT HAPPENED \h\hTO THEIR LOVED ONES.

YET FOR SO MANY MORE, ANGUISH \hFOR THOSE MISSING GOES ON.

[PEOPLE CRYING]

THE VOLCANO IS QUIETER NOW,

BUT THERE’S STILL GREAT DANGER IN THE WEEKS AND MONTHS AHEAD

FOR THOSE LIVING IN ITS SHADOW.

Watson: LAHARS ARE DEFINITELY \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE HAZARD

THAT WE NEED TO NOW \hBE FOCUSED UPON.

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THERE WOULD \h\h\hBE ANOTHER LARGE ERUPTION

\h\hTHAT GENERATED PYROCLASTIC FLOWS.

\h\hTHAT CERTAINLY CAN’T BE RULED OUT,

\h\hAND WE HAVE TO BE VERY MINDFUL OF THAT.

BUT LARGE LAHARS AND MUDSLIDES \h\hARE ABSOLUTELY INEVITABLE.

Narrator: BUT CAN A DISASTER \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hON THIS SCALE

BE AVERTED IN THE FUTURE?

BETTER SEISMIC MONITORING \h\h\h\h\h\h\hCAN PREDICT

\h\h\hWHEN ACTIVITY DEEP IN THE VOLCANO

IS REACHING CRITICAL LEVELS--

SO PEOPLE ARE EVACUATED \h\hRAPIDLY TO SAFETY.

[BOOM]

\h\h\h\h\h\hVenzke: THE IMPACT OF THE FUEGO ERUPTION, I THINK,

\h\hWILL BE FOR FORECASTERS AND OBSERVATORIES TO FOCUS

\h\h\hON SMALL SIGNS THAT MIGHT BE PRESENT

THAT WOULD INDICATE SOMETHING UNUSUAL IS HAPPENING QUICKLY.

\h\h\hIT’S A VERY DIFFICULT TASK FOR THE SCIENTISTS TO UNDERSTAND

\h\hWHAT THOSE SMALL CHANGES MIGHT IMPLY FOR THE ACTIVITY.

\h\hBUT THE FUEGO ERUPTION REALLY POINTS OUT THE NEED

\hFOR JUST ONGOING RESEARCH, DEPLOYING NEW TECHNOLOGIES,

\h\h\h\hFASTER, BETTER COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS.

\h\h\hMercer: YOU KNOW, GUATEMALA’S NO STRANGER

TO NATURAL DISASTERS.

THIS COUNTRY IS ONE \hOF THE MOST PRONE

TO NATURAL DISASTERS \h\h\h\hIN THE WORLD.

I MEAN, EARTHQUAKES HAPPEN ALL THE TIME.

\h\h\h\hTHERE’S THREE VERY ACTIVE VOLCANOES

WITH POPULATIONS OF PEOPLE \h\h\h\hLIVING AROUND THEM.

\h\h\hMUDSLIDES DURING THE RAINY SEASON ARE A REGULAR OCCURRENCE.

THIS VOLCANIC ERUPTION \h\h\h\h\hIS SOMETHING

THAT PEOPLE HERE IN GUATEMALA \h\h\h\hHAVEN’T SEEN BEFORE,

AN ERUPTION OF THIS MAGNITUDE,

AN ERUPTION THAT LEFT THIS MANY PEOPLE DEAD,

THIS MANY PEOPLE MISSING.

IT’S JUST SOMETHING HORRIFIC

THAT WE NEVER WANT TO SEE AGAIN \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN GUATEMALA.

[BABY CRYING]

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: IN HAWAII, LEILANI ESTATES

HAS BEEN RAZED TO THE GROUND.

ROADS ARE IMPASSABLE, \hAND THE LANDSCAPE...

CHANGED FOREVER.

[HELICOPTER]

[RUMBLING]

YET THE DRAMATIC SPECTACLE \h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE VOLCANO

CONTINUES TO DRAW TOURISTS.

JULY 16, PEOPLE BOARD \h\h\h\h\hA TRIP BOAT

TO SEE WHERE THE LAVA \h\hMEETS THE OCEAN--

OBLIVIOUS TO THE DANGER.

BUT THE POWER OF THE VOLCANO IS \hBROUGHT HOME IN DEADLY FASHION

WHEN THE BOAT GETS TOO CLOSE.

[SPLASH]

[PEOPLE SCREAMING]

News anchor: IN HAWAII,

A FRIGHTENING SCENE \h\hCAUGHT ON VIDEO

SHOWS THE MOMENT A LAVA BOMB \h\h\h\h\h\hHITS A BOAT TOUR.

\h\h\h\h\hAIRBORNE HOT LAVA PUNCTURED THE BOAT’S ROOF.

AUTHORITIES SAY 23 PEOPLE \h\h\h\h\h\hWERE INJURED,

13 OF THE VICTIMS TREATED \h\h\h\hAT THE HOSPITAL.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: 1,247 METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL,

THE VOLCANO’S CRATER LAKE \h\h\hIS STILL DRAINING,

\h\h\hAND THERE’S NO SIGN OF THE LAVA FLOW SLOWING.

Pyle: ONE OF THE THINGS \h\h\h\h\hTHAT WE KNOW

FROM PREVIOUS ERUPTIONS \h\h\h\h\h\hOF KILAUEA

\h\hIS THAT THESE ERUPTIONS CAN BE QUITE LONG LASTING.

SO THE 1955 ERUPTION,

WHICH HAS MANY SIMILARITIES \hTO THE CURRENT ERUPTION,

THAT PARTICULAR ERUPTION LASTED \h\h\h\hFOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS.

BUT AGAIN, ONE OF THE BIG CHALLENGES OF VOLCANOLOGY

\hIS THAT VOLCANOLOGISTS ARE VERY ABLE TO TELL YOU

WHAT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, \hBECAUSE WE CAN OBSERVE IT.

\hAND WE’RE ABLE TO TELL YOU WHAT’S LIKELY TO HAPPEN NEXT,

\h\hBECAUSE WE HAVE EXPERIENCE OF WHAT’S HAPPENED IN THE PAST.

BUT IT’S ACTUALLY VERY DIFFICULT TO BE ABLE TO FORECAST

\h\h\h\h\h\hWHEN AN ERUPTION IS GOING TO DECLINE OR STOP.

\h\h\h\h\hAND IT’S VERY HARD TO MAKE LONG-TERM PROJECTIONS

OF WHAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: ENORMOUS LAVA FOUNTAINS

RELENTLESSLY FEED RIVERS OF SEARING MOLTEN ROCK.

Barrios: I HAD TO TAKE A MOMENT \h\h\h\hAND PUT MY CAMERA DOWN

AND KIND OF SOAK IT IN \h\h\h\h\hWITH MY EYES,

\hBECAUSE I REALIZED THAT WHAT I WAS WATCHING WAS HISTORY UNFOLD.

YOU KNOW, THE VOLCANO \hIS VERY DESTRUCTIVE,

\hBUT IT IS ALSO THE SAME FORCE THAT HAS CREATED THESE ISLANDS.

\h\h\hNarrator: VOLCANOES ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING--

SO WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFOR KILAUEA?

\h\h\hWORK HAS REVEALED THAT KILAUEA ALTERNATES

OVER HUNDREDS OF YEARS

BETWEEN EXPELLING LAVA, \hAS IT’S DOING TODAY,

AND VIOLENT ERUPTIONS \h\hFROM THE CRATER.

IF THE FLOOR OF THE SUMMIT \h\h\h\h\hCRATER COLLAPSES,

MAGMA COULD STRIKE UNDERGROUND WATER,

PRODUCING A VIOLENT ERUPTION \hLIKE THE ONE IN GUATEMALA.

[EXPLOSION]

Patrick: IN THE PAST, KILAUEA \h\h\h\hHAS HAD THIS HISTORY

OF EXPLOSIVE BEHAVIOR,

MORE EXPLOSIVE THAN I THINK \h\hMOST PEOPLE RECOGNIZE.

Narrator: THE LAST TIME KILAUEA \h\h\hWAS IN AN EXPLOSIVE PHASE

WAS AROUND 1800--

\h\hBUT AT SOME POINT IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN

WITH POTENTIALLY DEADLY RESULTS.

♪

KILAUEA AND FUEGO--

TWO MAJOR ERUPTIONS \h\hCLOSE TOGETHER.

SO ARE THEY LINKED IN SOME WAY?

Venzke: SO THE ERUPTION AT FUEGO HAS BEEN GOING ON

\h\h\hALMOST CONSTANTLY FOR THE PAST 16 YEARS.

\h\h\h\hTHE KILAUEA ERUPTION HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE 1983.

\h\hIT REALLY IS COINCIDENCE THAT THERE WERE THESE TWO ERUPTIONS--

ONE THAT CAUSED DAMAGE

\hAND ONE THAT, UNFORTUNATELY, CAUSED GREAT DAMAGE AND DEATH.

THERE’S NO DIRECT CONNECTION BETWEEN THESE TWO ERUPTIONS.

Narrator: ALTHOUGH THE ERUPTIONS AREN’T CONNECTED,

\hBOTH OFFER OPPORTUNITIES TO GATHER VALUABLE DATA--

DATA THAT COULD HELP PREDICT \h\h\h\h\h\hFUTURE ERUPTIONS

AND SAVE LIVES.

Venzke: THERE ARE ERUPTIONS \h\hHAPPENING ALL THE TIME.

\h\h\hTHERE ARE SCIENTISTS ON THE GROUND STUDYING THESE EVERY DAY.

THE DATA THAT’S BEING COLLECTED \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFOR SCIENCE

IS REALLY A TREASURE TROVE \h\h\h\hFOR VOLCANOLOGISTS.

\h\hI THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE TWO ERUPTIONS--

\h\hSO CLOSE TOGETHER IN TIME, BUT SO DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT--

IT’S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE \h\h\h\h\h\hTO UNDERSTAND

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWE DO LIVE ON A VERY DYNAMIC PLANET.

[EXPLOSION]

Narrator: AS LONG AS WE LIVE IN THE SHADOW OF VOLCANOES,

THE MORE WE LEARN,

THE BETTER OUR CHANCES IN THE NEXT ERUPTION.

♪

[EXPLOSION]