Lava burns 2 buildings at Puna Geothermal plant
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM
An aerial view of the Puna Geothermal Venture plant on May 9. A substation and adjacent warehouse that stored a drilling rig at the plant were covered by lava on Wednesday, according to a Thursday statement from Ormat Technologies,
Lava has burned down two buildings at the Puna Geothermal Venture plant.
A substation and adjacent warehouse that stored a drilling rig at the plant were covered by lava on Wednesday, according to a Thursday statement from Ormat Technologies, the Nevada company that owns the plant.
>> Lava crosses Highway 137, limits access to Kapoho, Vacationland
>> Leilani Estates evacuee dies by apparent suicide
>> Big Isle mayor envisions ‘whole new community’ for Puna
>> Hawaii island resident smashes pickup into hardened lava
>> Allegedly intoxicated man arrested after crashing into hardened lava
>> Arrests possible for Leilani Estates holdouts
>> Leilani Estates lava might not be part of the eruption that began in 1983
>> Kau residents irritated by ashfall from volcano
>> Puna man ‘just wanted to live’ after nearly losing leg to lava bomb
RELATED PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
>> Live webcams from Hawaii island
>> Emergency lava route through Chain of Craters-Kalapana Road nearly complete, June 1
>> Changes occurring within Halemaumau crater, June 1
>> Pyroclasts inundate Leilani Estates as lava continues to flow, May 31
>> Hawaii Army National Guard Major Jeff Hickman provides an update, May 31
>> Leilani Estates residents talk about evacuating as lava advances, May 31
>> Hawaii Fire Department tracks lava from the air, May 30
>> Aerial view of lava flow in Leilani Estates, May 29
>> No break over holiday weekend for Kilauea, May 28
COMPLETE KILAUEA COVERAGE
>> Star-Advertiser volcano coverage
>> Kilauea Volcano YouTube playlist
The main access road to the plant has also been covered and blocked by lava. An alternative access road remains open. Two geothermal wellheads were destroyed on May 28.
The Puna geothermal plant was taken offline and evacuated soon after the Kilauea volcano began erupting on May 3.
Officials removed roughly 50,000 gallons of pentane, a flammable gas similar to lighter fluid used in power generation at the plant, to an off-site industrial park. The geothermal wells were also plugged to prevent the accidental release of toxic gases from the lava flow.
