Photographer Demian Barrios says he felt a 'cocktail of emotions' while capturing Hawaii's Kīlauea eruption destroy over 700 homes
On May 3, 2018, the Kīlauea, the most active of the five volcanoes that together form the island of Hawaii, erupted, forcing approximately two thousand residents to evacuate the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens subdivisions and destroying 700 homes.
In the documentary 'Volcanoes: Dual Destruction' on Smithsonian Channel, which aired on Sunday, 9 p.m. ET, the Kīlauea eruption was compared to Volcán de Fuego, an active stratovolcano in Guatemala that resulted in at least 159 deaths and 256 missing persons after it erupted on June 3, 2018.
The photographer who has been in the thick of things capturing every lava flow at the Big Island since 1999—Demian Barrios, dubbed as the "Lava Chaser"—was ready with his camera to document the history-making moments as the Kīlauea volcano changed the geography of Hawaii last year.
He spoke to MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) regarding the once-in-a-lifetime experience capturing the deadly eruption through his lenses and the "cocktail of emotions" he felt seeing the landscape he has come to love and respect change before his eyes.
How did you start as a 'Lava Chaser'?
Volcanoes have been something I've been really passionate about ever since I was a kid. I moved to the Big Island in 1999, and at the time the lava was erupting down in Kalapana. Being a photographer and wanting to get the photos too was another incentive to make constant trips out there. I have had people tell me that I am a moth to a flame. I just can't keep myself away.
Having been following volcanic activity in Kīlauea since 1999, how has the intensity or nature of eruptions changed?
This particular eruption that we had last year was definitely a lot different than any of the prior ones that we have seen. Because this was actually a fissure eruption. I think there are 24 fissures that in the end had erupted. So that was a lot more different than the previous flows that were coming out of vents and then going down the slope toward the ocean.
Most of those are what they call "surface flows" and the majority are mostly pahoehoe flows (basaltic lava flows that cool down forming typical smooth, billowy, or ropy surfaces) and some a'a flows (lava comes out of the volcano as a very thick and viscous and travels very slowly), but those are very predictable.
This particular eruption was a lot different than that because the fissures were popping up along different areas of that rift zone. So in the first week, it was very, very unpredictable and a lot of explosive force.
How has Kīlauea impacted the lives of people in the Leilani Estates?
This particular eruption has obviously changed the landscape a lot. This last eruption has completely covered a large area of Leilani Estates as well as Kapoho. It took several very crucial areas like the Kapoho Bay and the wild high tide pools and Kua O Ka La School that was down there near the hot pond.
People have obviously had to move away from their homes. But one of the biggest losses aside from the homes is you know the destruction of all these natural landscapes and areas along the coast where people would go access the ocean for swimming, fishing, recreation, snorkeling.
How has the destruction impacted you emotionally?
It definitely was a cocktail of emotions. Being a lava chaser and an enthusiast wanting to be there, it definitely was very exciting. There was (sic) also some times that were very, very scary. With that comes the sadness of watching these areas be destroyed and covered by lava and taken forever. And I know a lot of people who lost homes, who lost property. There were some times that I was very, very, overwhelmed because it's just so much to process and see that the island is changing so quickly before your eyes.
What were you thinking when you saw the fissure erupt for the first time?
Yes, I was there when fissure one first started erupting. I was there at the time with my 5-year-old son. I was in complete shock of what I was seeing. That was the first time that I had ever seen (a) fissure eruption. I remember looking at my son's face and his eyes were huge. He looked to me and he said, "Is that lava?" You just couldn't believe it. I looked at him and I'm like, "Yes you know that's lava."
It was probably one of the most exciting moments I've had at a volcano with that first fissure and I feel really grateful and really blessed that I got to share that moment with my son.
How was it to live-stream 15 minutes of the eruption using a cell phone?
It was really nerve-racking but one of the things that I realized there were several situations where I was the only person there. And I felt this duty. I felt this Kuleana (a Hawaiian word, which means "Right, privilege, concern and responsibility") to basically share that. There were several times where I'd be there looking at something happening and I kept looking over my shoulder wondering if I would see somebody and nobody was there.
It definitely felt like a privilege and an amazing thing to be using technology to be able to live stream and share some of what was happening with the world.
What I realized was in previous eruptions you know we've only all seen photos after the fact. But in this people were able to watch it live and on-demand, and by doing so, it also became their experience. So we were all collectively sharing that experience and that was very gratifying to know that even though I was alone, I wasn't alone because everybody watching was able to share that experience.