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NC agencies sending help to Hawaii

On Saturday, a group of 10 experienced emergency management and fire officials left North Carolina to aid in the response for the next 14 days.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Hawaii’s Big Island remains under a state of emergency.

The volcano in the area is erupting repeatedly, destroying more homes over the weekend and now, lava is flowing into the Pacific Ocean.

On Saturday, a group of 10 experienced emergency management and fire officials left North Carolina to aid in the response for the next 14 days.

Five counties and three fire departments, including Charlotte Fire, are represented on the 10-person team. The help was requested by Hawaii’s state emergency management agency.

The volatility of the eruption is one reason the people of Hawaii need all the help they can get.

“It’s unlike anything we on the east coast could imagine,” Assistant Director of the Billy Graham Rapid Response team Josh Holland said.

Holland said they respond to all kinds of natural disasters and tragedies but never have they responded to a volcanic eruption.

“Everything from hearing eruptions in the middle of the night, to the tremendous amount of ash and vog,” Holland said.

Those are foreign concepts to Carolinians but for people in Hawaii, it’s never far from reality.

“It’s almost like they’ve been bracing for this to happen,” Holland said. “So there’s a real strength of the people. They’ve been very grateful for our presence.”

The volcano began erupting almost three weeks ago, burning dozens of homes and forcing people to flee. The situation has escalated in recent days with flying lava causing the first major injury.

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