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Interview with Pōhakuloa Training Area Commander Lt. Col. Kevin Cronin

We took questions from the community and brought them to Pohakuloa Training Area to get answers. Here is my attempt to consolidate the answers provided by Lt. Col. Kevin Cronin, USAG-Pohakuloa Training Area Commander on our live stream on 12.1.22. Due to the poor quality of the live stream, a transcript was necessary. Q: Any old unexploded ordinance inside or outside PTA fence? Are any mapped? Are they a concern? We do not have a concern with unexploded ordinances based on the flow of the lava right now. Of the teammates that work at PTA, more than 200 civilians and fellow members of our community is our foremost priority as well as the safety of the community. There is no danger to the cantonment area where the workforce works, but we are still monitoring it. Safety of PTA staff and the community is the foremost priority. Full answer: https://youtu.be/AQGlTwZPt6g?t=221 Q: What precautions are they actively taking today to remove explosives and flammables etc? Conduction prudent planning, the way the lava is flowing there is not a risk to those areas. If the lava were to flow we have a plan in place to remove ammunition stored in the vicinity of the cantonment. We have a plan for that but it’s not necessary at this time. Full answer: https://youtu.be/AQGlTwZPt6g?t=267 Q: Has the army been doing any reconnaissance flights over the lava flows? We have been supporting interagency flights, but there have been no military reconnaissance flight of this lava flow. Full answer: https://youtu.be/AQGlTwZPt6g?t=326 Q: Does the military plan to intervene if lava flow gets close to PTA? No. No plans of that nature. Full answer: https://youtu.be/AQGlTwZPt6g?t=347 Q: Can locals come on the property to set up the offering site for Tutu Pele and place offerings since get plenty parking and safer? For these types of requests i would ask the individuals to go to PTA’s website and there is a link to receive those requests. We do facilitate cultural access to Pohakuloa, that is the best way to facilitate. (Link to make a request: https://home.army.mil/.../PTA_PAO_FORM_1_-_REQUEST_FOR...) Full answer: https://youtu.be/AQGlTwZPt6g?t=365 Q: If/when/before lava flow crosses DKI highway will the military assist with fire breaks? We are operating in close conjunction with the County of Hawaii and State of Hawaii. We have robust agreements already in place with our partners. In the Saddle region, PTA fire, emergency and police are the first responders in the Saddle. So far this year we have received 75 incidents - car accidents, lost hikers, etc - Off PTA in Saddle region. We will continue to do so to support our County and State partners. Since the lava flow started we haven’t stopped responding, there have already been 3 motor vehicle accidents we have responded. We respond to fires regularly. We responded to the Mana road fire with military helicopters and bulldozers and if necessary we will continue to do that. Full answer:https://youtu.be/AQGlTwZPt6g?t=416 Q: How has the VOG and Pele’s Hair been at the base? We’re experiencing a little bit of Pele’s Hair. Out of an abundance of caution the teammates that are working have been directed to wear masks and eye protection and to minimize going outside. So there is a little bit of Pele’s Hair, and we’re trying to be as cautious as possible. As for SO2 monitoring we have 30 SO2 monitors and they are taken out to various areas of PTA. We have a SO2 chart we follow, and we follow Civil Defense. The majority of the reading over the last several days has been in the green, between 0 and .1 and often times zero. In some areas SO2 does pick up, that’s due to variant wind conditions. When that occurs we have teammates come back and move to an area where SO2 levels aren’t so elevated. Full answer: https://youtu.be/AQGlTwZPt6g?t=517 Q: Can you discuss the Mayor’s traffic hazard mitigation route and PTA’s involvement? It started with a concern for the community who are doing something we all completely understand. It’s incredible, it’s tough to put words to describe it (the eruption). But they have been pulling over on Saddle Road which is a very busy highway. And so working in collaboration with Mayor Mitch Roth and the State, we were able to develop a plan to provide a route and space for lava viewing off of the highway, and hopefully decrease the traffic accidents and incidents on Saddle Road. The traffic hazard mitigation route just started, and what will happen is across the street from Gilbert Kahele County Park there is an access point and community members can access, turn in at that point, and it will be a one way route through Old Saddle Road that I know many are familiar with. On that route, you can park on the right shoulder and view the lava from your car or just outside your car. They continue in a one-way direction and exit Old Saddle Road onto Saddle Road a couple miles east. This is a great example of the great relationship PTA with our community, the county, and the state and we are proud we made this happen so quickly. Just to emphasize, the entrance is across the street from Gilbert Kahele County Park, which is separate from PTA meaning that if you go to the main gate you will be directed just down the road to the actual entrance point. Full answer:https://youtu.be/AQGlTwZPt6g?t=623 Q: Can you make any comment on the loud boom sound that was heard yesterday (11.30)? No training is occurring at PTA, the last training ended Nov 18th. That sound did not come from PTA, and was not affiliated with any type of training at PTA. It could have been military exercises, like a sonic boom from a fighter jet from Oahu maneuvering overseas, but not affiliated with PTA. There won't be any training at PTA until early in the new year when the Army National Guard, comes here and train. We’re proud that PTA provides training for the Army National Guard, our state’s citizen soldiers, and fellow community members. Full answer: https://youtu.be/AQGlTwZPt6g?t=841 Q: If the State does activate the National Guard, are you working in conjunction or is that a separate operation from PTA? Yes, it’s separate but we will absolutely work in close conjunction with the Army National Guard. We will do anything we can to support. Full answer: https://youtu.be/AQGlTwZPt6g?t=910 Q: Will there be bathrooms? Yes. At the Gilbert Kahele County Park and there will be a limited number of porta-potties on the route. Full answer: https://youtu.be/AQGlTwZPt6g?t=949

Help Ken Boyer in His Recovery Journey

Help Ken Boyer in His Recovery Journey

Our friend Ken Boyer is facing some pretty serious health challenges right now. Ken was an early friend and contributor to Hawaii Tracker over 8 years ago now. Any support you can give him would be appreciated and please keep him and his ohana in your prayers! 🙏 If anyone would like to support Ken and his family you can do so at the link below. https://www.gofundme.com/f/liver-transplant-journey-recovery-nsvfc Here is the post Ken shared on social media today: "Hello my dear friends and family, this is gonna be a long one, sorry but I feel it’s time I share my story that very few know. The last few years have been extremely difficult for me and my family. We’ve suffered tremendous loss and I found myself feeling ill also. Very weak, extremely tired and fatigued, abdominal pain, unable to think clearly and at times not even being able to form sentences, unable to remember things, etc…I was very concerned and went to the doctor. After a series of tests and such I was ultimately diagnosed in November of 2023 with End Stage (Stage 4) Liver Disease (Cirrhosis) as well as several other related diagnosis, the worst being Hepatic Encephalopathy. Went to a few doctors to review the diagnosis. One was very hopeful and said may be able to get a transplant. Another said I had 6 months to live and it sure felt like it. Since then I’ve changed my diet, saw many specialists, been back and forth to Oahu and even to California. It is believed that this disease came on from a fall I had into stagnant water on a river back in 2008. At that time I contracted Leptospirosis. That was very difficult to navigate for quite some time but I did get better and I thought that was that. Apparently not… It’s heavily affected my ability to work. We tried many things attempting to keep Rico’s Taco Shop open but it just wasn’t able to operate successfully without me being present. My wife did an amazing job of trying to keep it going. She was just working herself to death though. She ultimately was able to secure a great job and I have since been unable to find a way to operate Rico’s. This has been crushing to us in so many ways. My dream business, emotionally, financially…. Needless to say, it’s been a roller coaster. This has pushed us to the breaking point in so many ways and continues to daily. The hardest part is what I see it doing to my wife and kids. They are amazing. My wife has been by my side through all of this and I can’t thank her enough for all that she’s done. The kids are affected a lot and it kills me. I don’t have the energy to be there with them and present like I’d like to be. They are strong. They know daddy has some health issues but don’t understand the extent of it. My oldest daughter is aware but living in the mainland at this time. Unfortunately the cirrhosis has progressed and has made it impossible to do much. A lot of days I’m unable to drive even. There’s been countless trips to the ER and stays in the hospital due to this as well as many procedures and medications. Currently I’m on 12 medications. I will need a transplant to live and I’m working towards that. However I will be having to move to either Oahu or California to do so. I’m working on getting disability but have been denied and have to keep pushing for it. My days consist of falling asleep at all times out of nowhere, even standing up. Or the opposite, extreme insomnia. The day to day of all the symptoms is overwhelming and I won’t bore you with it all. Some are very ugly too, you don’t wanna know lol. The cost of ongoing care has been a huge burden on us as well and we do need help there also, somehow. I decided I needed to be transparent about this. I owe it to you all. You’ve all been such amazing friends and family that it only seems right. I’m sure some have wondered “what happened to that guy, he used to always be online”. Well, I just can’t be like I used to be. Life has become very mundane. The last thing I wanted to do was ask for any donations. We’ve been trying to do anything and everything we can to sell off everything to raise funds. We’re just not nearly close enough and currently not able to cover bills even. But my main concern is being able to get to Oahu or California when the time comes for a transplant. Which will happen sometime in the near future. I don’t know any other way to make this a reality. We have a lot of loose ends here that we will have to deal with financially before it’s possible to even leave and once I’m there I’ll need to rent a place to stay. Medical should cover the majority of the medical bills. Depending where I go. If I have to go to California the medical will be different and won’t cover nearly as much. But Oahu doesn’t have nearly as many viable livers annually. So that’s where the concern is as to where I’ll be going. Either way, no matter what happens, if you donate, it will be going to the ongoing cost of care, travel, housing, and anything else that is going to be out of pocket. If you can help, that’s fantastic and I appreciate it more than I could ever explain but a share means just as much. Thank you all! I will try to get back with everyone as much as I’m able to. Even a prayer!!! Love you all 🙏🏼"

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Ryan Finlay

Episode 37 fountains have started

Episode 37 fountains have started

Episode 37 fountains have started!

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Ryan Finlay

Episode 28

Episode 28

Update: Episode 28 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended abruptly at 1:20 p.m. HST on July 9, 2025, after 9 hours of continuous fountaining, the final 8 of which were high fountaining. The north vent stopped erupting at approximately 1:20 p.m. HST, marking the end of the episode. The south vent did not appear to activate at all during this episode and has been completely covered by new deposits. The growing cone around the north vent has begun to connect with the top of the surrounding cliff in some places. Lava fountains reached up to approximately 1200 ft (365 m) during this episode. Volcanic gas emissions have greatly decreased since the end of fountaining. Lava flows from this episode on the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu within the southern part of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) may continue to exhibit slow movement or incandescence as they cool and solidify over the coming days. Slumping of molten cone material around the vent may also continue for the next 24 hours and can produce small, localized lava flows. The Uēkahuna tiltmeter (UWD) recorded about 15 microradians of deflationary tilt during this episode. The end of the eruption was coincident with a rapid change from deflation to inflation at the summit and a decrease in seismic tremor intensity. --------------------------------------- Episode 28 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption began at 4:10 a.m. HST on July 9 and is currently exhibiting a vent overflow and fountains reaching roughly 150 feet (45 meters). Past episodes have produced incandescent lava fountains over 1000 feet (300 meters) high that result in eruptive plumes up to 20,000 feet (6000 meters) above ground level. High fountaining associated with this episode has not yet begun but is expected to start soon, as tremor, deflation, and fountain height are all increasing. According to USGS weather stations just southwest of the summit, winds are blowing from the north-northeast direction at approximately 15 miles per hour, which suggests that volcanic gas emissions and volcanic material will be distributed south-southwest. Such trade winds typically turn more to the northeast during daylight hours. All eruptive activity is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Three Kīlauea summit livestream videos that show eruptive lava fountains are available here: https://www.youtube.com/@usgs/streams

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Ryan Finlay

Episode 24

Episode 24

Episode 24 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption began at 8:55 PM HST on June 4 and is currently fountaining from the north vent. Episode 24 was preceded by sporadic spatter, gas pistoning, and hydrogen flames that began on the morning of June 3. At approximately 8:55 PM HST, episode 24 began with low dome fountaining accompanied by lava flows onto the crater floor. Small sustained lava fountains, less than about 100 feet (30 meters) high, began erupting from the north vent around 9:15 PM. Activity increased again around 10:10 PM, when fountain heights increased to 325 feet (100 meters) and by 10:40 reached over 980 feet (300 meters). Additionally, the fountain generated a plume that reached 16,500 feet (5,000 meters) above ground level by 10:50 PM and is increasing. At a tiltmeter near Uēkahuna (UWD), inflationary tilt reached just over 14 microradians since the end of the last episode; slightly more than the amount of deflationary tilt in episode 23. Seismic tremor began increasing and tilt at UWD switched from inflation to deflation at about 9:00 PM HST, close in time to the beginning of low fountaining. Most episodes of Halemaʻumaʻu lava fountaining since December 23, 2024, have continued for around a day or less and have been separated by pauses in eruptive activity lasting generally at least several days.

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Ryan Finlay

Episode 18 Fountains Have Begun

Episode 18 Fountains Have Begun

Episode 18 high fountains have started!

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Ryan Finlay

Episode 17 Has Started

Episode 17 Has Started

Episode 17 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption began at 10:15 p.m. HST on April 7, 2025 with the start of lava overflowing from the south vent. Low spatter fountains from the south vent have been increasing from initial heights of 15-30 feet to 30-60 feet by 3:00 am HST on April 8. Tremor continues to gradually increase as well and is accompanied by slow deflation of the summit. - USGS Volcanoes

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Ryan Finlay