Salvation Army Responding To Hawaii

BAY AREA — A Salvation Army director from the Bay Area will assist at emergency shelters in Hawaii for three weeks as they provide resources during the volcano eruption there.

John McKnight will leave for Hawaii on Wednesday and serve as deputy incident command, coordinating efforts between the Salvation Army, federal and state services.

McKnight, a Navy veteran, is currently the director of emergency services for the Salvation Army's Golden State division. He responded to the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 and the Oakland hills wildfire in 1991 as an American Red Cross member, according to the Salvation Army.

The Puna lava flow began on May 3 when the Kilauea volcano erupted, causing fissures, multiple earthquakes and shooting large plumes of smoke and lava into the air.

The flow currently spans more than 2,400 acres across the eastern side of Hawaii's Big Island.

The Salvation Army has served 14,024 meals in five emergency shelters as of May 27, the agency reported.

Services in the following weeks will include financial assistance and the distribution of resources, including mosquito repellant, food boxes, water and hygiene kits.

— Bay City News; Image via Shutterstock