Hikers Warned to Stay Out of Closed Area
The Mauna Loa Forest Reserve was closed shortly after the volcanic eruption began one week ago. Yet, even after a public viewing area was closed for multiple hours today due to the discovery of unexploded ordnance (UXO) many people continue to trespass into the closed area.
Today, officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) warned a dozen people to stay out of the active lava zone…unexploded ordnance being just one of the potential hazards.
Tonight, during a media tour, DOCARE Hawai’i Island Branch Chief Lawrence Terlep Jr. spotted a trio of people walking down Mauna Loa Access Road, which is closed. They told Terlep they thought “the road was only closed to cars.” People caught in closed areas risk getting seriously hurt walking across uneven ground in the dark, where hidden UXO may be located or recent lava flows could still be extremely hot. Violators can be cited or arrested.
Authorities are urging people to view the current eruption from safe, established viewing locations.
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