I had no idea how long this would go on, but fortunately, it was short-lived.

Spared by the 1959 eruption, this forest has been subjected to other destructive forces—non-native plants and animals. Downwind from high lava fountains, forests suffered tremendous damage. Trees were stripped of leaves and branches—or completely buried—by falling cinder. Prevailing trade winds blew most of the cinder away from here, sparing this forest from the eruption. Protecting it from invasive flora and fauna has required human intervention.