Michael Hale, of Leilani Estates on Big Island in Hawaii has lived in this peaceful suburb for 18-years. Running a car rental business from his home, he tends to have a few cars parked outside at any one time. So, when a fissure opened in the area spewing lava up to 150 feet high on May 3, it quickly became apparent that things were about to get much worse. Thanks to all the cars, Michael had a lot more evacuating to do than most of the other locals and he started moving vehicles off his property with the help of some friends.

Over the following days the lava started to spread and a further 14 eruptions had opened up. As the cars were being removed, Michael had to start emptying his house too. The lava had started spreading over a much larger area and many houses had been claimed by its relentless progress and it was advancing rapidly. In the end only two vehicles were left, a scrap truck and a 4th-Gen Ford Mustang. Youtube Channel WXchasing interviewed Michael to find out more, like why had he not moved the car earlier. Well the Mustang needed a jump start and with the lava flow and noxious fumes starting to envelope the area the last thing on Michael's to-do list was to get the old girl going.

So, as they made one last trip back the following day to the house to try and save the Mustang, the lava got there first and enveloped it and the house in a fiery death.

Michael is quite pragmatic about the whole situation, despite having lost much of his possessions to the lava flow. And having to sleep out of a van for now, he is more concerned about how the rest of his community is getting through this ordeal. The loss of the Mustang is sure to weigh heavily on him but it is the R2D2 mailbox that his daughter had made him a few years ago he will miss the most. See the sad end of both car and postbox above.