By akademiotoelektronik, 16/07/2022

TESTIMONY."There were lava jets": Guide to the Canaries, Violaine approached the volcano

Tourist guide on the island of La Palma, in the Canaries, Violaine Molherac attended the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja on Sunday, September 19.The Frenchwoman, expatriate for four years, was not used to such a volcanic spectacle.

"It moves to experience this"

Violaine Molherac lives in the northwest zone of the Palma Island, "16 kilometers as the crow flies from the volcano," she said.From there, "we don't realize anything.No smoke cloud, no sulfur smell."So, curious, the 34 -year -old tourist guide decided to see the eruption more closely:" Yesterday, I moved to the sector.It is a very impressive historical event all the same!»»

Access to the volcano is of course limited to rescue on the spot."I approached the eruptive mouth, in the security perimeter," she reassures.Lava came out.She looked like fire, but with a much more intense red.There were lava jets, the height of which was difficult to assess.Maybe about thirty meters?And then slag too, expelled stones, which fell on the volcano.A huge smoke came out in the shape of a cone, black with a little brown, a little yellowish sometimes, depending on the sulfur concentration I think.»»

In front of such a show, the Frenchwoman is amazed: "It moves to experience this.The earth breathes, I believe that it is the sentence that describes all this best.»»

An early event

"We hear a lot of fake news on the scale of the event.It’s not a disaster scenario either.The emergency services are very organized, the Guardia Civil, Civil Security, many firefighters have been detached from Tenerife, ”reassures the guide.

The volcano eruption was not a surprise for the authorities, who had been preparing for a good week: "There was first a seismic alert noted under the Cambre Vieja crest.Then it went on yellow alert, the population was warned.We expected it, even if the probability that it happens was low, about 20 %.Then there was an evacuation plan for the villages concerned.The population was able to react calmly.»»

Volcanic eruptions to the Canaries are relatively frequent.When Violaine Molherac went to the foot of the fiery volcano, she met a couple of elderly people from the island."The 87 -year -old man told me that it was his third eruption.He had already known it in 1949 and 1971, just 50 years ago, she says.For many palmeros, it is a relatively normal phenomenon, the Canary Islands are young volcanic islands.»»

Young volcanoes are more likely to eruption than old volcanoes, asleep or even extinct.

"A real network has been created"

In 1971, few homes had been affected.“This year, the two large lava flows, which descend to the sea, take away homes in their path.»»

Read also: in pictures.Destroyed houses and thousands of evacuated after the volcanic eruption in the Canaries

Despite the beauty of the show, Violaine Molherac thinks of those who have been evacuated: "We obviously have compassion and empathy towards the inhabitants who will lose their house.On the island, everyone has organized to relieve the victims: "There is a lot of solidarity.A real network has been created to recover animals from dislodged people, offer temporary reception, food solutions.»»

Violaine Molherac suspended its tourism activities in the volcano area, however a must, but recalls that "only part of the island is affected by the eruption.Elsewhere everything is fine.The phenomenon could continue for several weeks or even months.

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