The National Weather Service warns that as much as a quarter inch of ash may be carried downwind of the volcano. It is an air quality emergency.
People with breathing difficulties may be at-risk. And are urged to remain inside.
Emergency officials have issued a warning to residents that gas fumes, ash and Pele’s Hair could be dangerous throughout Hawaii.
The Legend of Pele’s Hair
According to legend Pele, short for Pelehonuamea, was the Hawaiian Goddess of volcanoes and fire. And she once ruled the island from the peak of Kīlauea in Hawaii.
Pele is said to travel throughout the islands. And she often appears “as a beautiful young woman, or as an old woman, sometimes accompanied by a white dog.”
The term Pele’s Hair describes thin glass fibers that occur during volcano eruptions.
“When bubbles of gas near the surface of a lava flow burst, it can stretch the skin of the molten lava into long threads,” according to the Park Service website.
These long, hair-like fibers are usually found near volcanic summits. But they can be carried downwind for many miles. And they really do look like “golden mats of hair,” the park service claims.
