🔥 Witness to Fire: My Night at Kīlauea’s Eruption 🔥

On the evening of June 4, I stood at the edge of the caldera in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, watching and waiting—heart open, camera ready, eyes searching for any sign that the Earth was about to move.

And then it happened.

At 8:55 PM, Kīlauea erupted.

What began as faint spattering and quiet plumes of gas became a sudden, stunning burst of life from deep within the planet. By 10:40 PM, lava was shooting over 1,000 feet into the air—taller than the Empire State Building. The plume from the eruption rose 16,500 feet, blotting out the moon and reflecting an eerie red light across the night sky.

I watched, mesmerized, as lava fountains burst from two vents in Halemaʻumaʻu crater, pouring molten rock across the caldera floor. The volcanic vents seemed to breathe. There was sound—a deep hissing rumble. The people around me murmured in awe and amazement. “Wow. Wow.” There was this incredible sense of presence, as if the Earth was saying: “You’re here. You’re part of this too.”

Here’s a short video with footage I took from the edge of the crater.

This was Episode 24 in the current eruption sequence, which started on December 23, 2024. The fountains started low and steady but quickly surged to incredible heights. The eruption lasted into the early hours of June 5. According to USGS, sulfur dioxide emissions were estimated at 75,000 tonnes per day—reminding me that even beauty has a shadow side.

Now, the eruption has paused. The lava cools and settles. The fire rests, but it’s not gone.

What the Volcano Taught Me

Being here—watching this unfold—reminded me that creation is not always quiet, and transformation is not always slow. Sometimes, it’s sudden. Fiery. Towering. And sometimes, it’s the long cooling afterward where we really begin to understand the shape of what was made.

This is what we practice at Wings Open Studio: staying present to the creative pulse of the Earth and the wild rhythms within ourselves. Witnessing Kīlauea wasn’t just a spectacle—it was a teacher. A reminder to listen closely, move when the signs are right, and to honor both the eruption and the stillness that follows.

🌋 Gratitude to Pele and this sacred land for letting me witness this moment. If you ever have the chance to come here, do it with humility, wonder, and respect. And bring your camera—but more importantly, your full attention.

📸 More photos from the eruption: