(BIVN) – Episode 43 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption ended abruptly at 6:21 p.m. Tuesday evening, after 9 hours of continuous lava fountaining.

The USGS Volcano Alert Level for Kīlauea has returned to WATCH, and the Aviation Color Code is back to ORANGE. 

Tephra fallout created hazardous conditions in areas downwind of Halemaʻumaʻu, closing the summit area within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and shutting down a stretch of Highway 11. 

Tephra as large as 6 inches was reported from the Volcano Golf Course, and fine ash and Peleʻs hair was observed as far away as Hilo.

This hawaiiash.science map shows the last 24 hours of tephra fall/no tephra fall observations received by HVO. These reports HAVE NOT been verified by HVO.

From the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on Tuesday evening:

This eruption was comparable in size to episodes 41 and 42, but due to light winds produced tephra fallout similar to but not as great as episode 41. The plume sent tephra falling within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park along the north rim of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) and into adjacent communities. The heaviest tephra fall was recorded at Uēkahuna overlook (about 4-7 inches of accumulation) where 2-inch tephra began falling at around 10:20 a.m. HST and Kīlauea Military Camp (about 2 inches of accumulation) where 4-5 inch tephra fell starting at about 10:20 a.m. HST. The Volcano Golf Course community was hardest hit with a blanket of tephra with pieces up to several inches in diameter.

Alert levels were raised from ORANGE / WATCH to RED / WARNING by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory at 10:54 a.m. HST reflecting potential hazards to surrounding communities and aviation. Highway 11 was closed at about 11:10 a.m. HST and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (HVNP) closed the western overlooks at about 11:20 a.m. HST and evacuated visitors from those areas. The National Weather Service issued an ash fall WARNING at 11:29 a.m. HST following an earlier ash fall advisory. HVNP closed a short time later. Smaller but significant tephra falls occurred in Volcano Village and Mauna Loa estates with lighter tephra as far as Royal Hawaiian Estates, about 6 miles northeast of the vents. As the eruption progressed, ash and Pele’s hair was reported from Mountain View and finally as far as Hilo, Hawaiian Paradise Park, and the Hamakua Coast just north of Hilo.

As of 8:30 p.m., the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense reported Highway 11 was still closed closed from mile 27 (Volcano Village) to mile 32 (Nāmakanipaio). Officials estimated it would take another 4 hours to clear the tephra off the roadway. 

Meanwhile, the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense, the American Red Cross, and Community Emergency Response Team plan to set up a tephra information center at the Cooper Center in Volcano Village from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday. “Residents can learn how to clean tephra from their homes, protect water catchment tanks, and make requests for assistance,” the officials stated.

NAS Swimming Pool and Charles “Sparky” Kawamoto Swim Stadium in Hilo, as well as the Pāhoa Community Aquatic Center, are closed until further notice to allow the pools to be cleaned of tephra, such as Pele’s hair and ash.

USGS webcam shows the Kilauea summit on Tuesday evening

From the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense:

Volcanic tephra, including ash, can irritate eyes, skin, and the respiratory system. When cleaning tephra, wear masks, gloves and eye protection. Use caution when clearing rooftops.

Tephra also can clog and cause other problems with water catchment collection systems. Temporarily disconnect the gutters feeding into the tank. Do not reconnect the system until the volcanic hazards (i.e. ash, laze, Pele’s hair in the air) have passed and the ash and debris are washed off the roof, out of the gutters and the tank.