Flaming curtains of lava sometimes shoot out of the Puna Rifts. In 1881 a lava flow from Mauna Loa reached the edge of the city of Hilo in eastern Hawaii. Hilo residents were again reminded of the surrounding ring of fire in 1960. But volcanoes erode even while they re erupting. Red volcanic soils on the big island support lush forests and even grasslands where cattle are raised.
Tourists can search for another volcanic treat a black sand beach.