Nation IN BRIEF : HAWAII : Lava Hits Ocean, Brews Toxic Steam

Searing lava from Kilauea Volcano reached the ocean, sending up billowing clouds of hazardous steam. The lava also threw a noose around the only store and remaining church in a remote rural community of Kalapana on the island of Hawaii. The steam, called laze, since it is a lava-generated haze, poses a potential health hazard because the fiery rock hitting seawater generates acid fumes. Strong trade winds were blowing the steam out toward the sea, but officials were concerned that nighttime sea breezes or a wind shift could send toxic materials over the land.