--- description: The United States Geological Survey took time to warn residents against roasting marshmallows over the volcanic vents in Hawaii. title: USGS: Please Don't Roast Marshmallows Over Hawaii Volcano image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltff6934c9e1d8b6cd/698931af929fad1180bf0b0e/volcano.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [hawaii](/tag/hawaii/) ## hawaii Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Please Don't Roast Marshmallows Over the Erupting Hawaii Volcano, USGS Warns by [Jennifer Calfas](/author/jennifer-calfas/) ## Jennifer Calfas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 29, 2018 12:17 PM CUT  Onlookers gather on newly hardened lava to catch a view as lava erupts and flows in the distance from a Kilauea volcano fissure in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island, on May 24, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii. An estimated 40-60 cubic feet of lava per second is gushing from volcanic fissures in Leilani Estates. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) Onlookers gather on newly hardened lava to catch a view as lava erupts and flows in the distance from a Kilauea volcano fissure in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island, on May 24, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii. An estimated 40-60 cubic feet of lava per second is gushing from volcanic fissures in Leilani Estates. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)Mario Tama—Getty Images by [Jennifer Calfas](/author/jennifer-calfas/) ## Jennifer Calfas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 29, 2018 12:17 PM CUT The U.S. Geological Survey took a break from giving serious updates about Hawaii’s [Kilauea volcanic eruption](http://time.com/5289687/hawaii-kilauea-volcano-eruption-blue-flames-methane/ "undefined") to confirm that no, you should not roast marshmallows over the scorching hot volcanic vents. The USGS responded to one twitter user who asked, “Is it safe to roast marshmallows over volcanic vents? Assuming you had a long enough stick, that is? Or would the resulting marshmallows be poisonous?” “Erm,” the USGS replied. “We’re going to have to say no, that’s not safe. (Please don’t try!)” > [](https://twitter.com/jayfurr/status/1001280299710472192) > [](https://twitter.com/USGSVolcanoes/status/1001281586476867584) Not only would it be unsafe, the USGS said, but the marshmallows would simply taste bad. The vent could be releasing sulfur dioxide or hydrogen sulfide — which both emit not-so-pleasant smells — and the sulfuric acid from [vog, or volcanic smog](http://time.com/5269683/hawaii-vog/ "undefined"), could create a “pretty spectacular reaction,” the USGS said. The USGS has issued a number of more formal warnings in the weeks since the Kilauea Volcano erupted in Hawaii, causing many residents in the nearby Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens to evacuate as more fissures open and the lava flow slowly moved, eventually hitting the ocean. The USGS has issued a warning for the volcano — the highest alert-level possible that means a “hazardous eruption is imminent, underway or suspected,” according to the [USGS website](https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/about%5Falerts.html "undefined"). The agency had also issued a red-level aviation code, which warns an eruption is imminent or underway with significant volcanic ash and plume in the air. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5293693/kilauea-volcano-usgs-marshmallow/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5293693/kilauea-volcano-usgs-marshmallow/"},"headline":"Please Don't Roast Marshmallows Over the Erupting Hawaii Volcano, USGS Warns","datePublished":"2018-05-29T12:17:33.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T20:24:29.155Z","description":"\"Is it safe to roast marshmallows over volcanic vents?\" one Twitter user asked","url":"https://time.com/5293693/kilauea-volcano-usgs-marshmallow/","keywords":["hawaii","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltff6934c9e1d8b6cd/698931af929fad1180bf0b0e/volcano.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jennifer Calfas","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/jennifer-calfas/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltff6934c9e1d8b6cd/698931af929fad1180bf0b0e/volcano.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Erupts Forcing Evacuations","caption":"Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Erupts Forcing Evacuations","creditText":"Mario Tama—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/hawaii/","name":"hawaii"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5293693/kilauea-volcano-usgs-marshmallow/","name":"Please Don't Roast Marshmallows Over the Erupting Hawaii Volcano, USGS Warns"}}]}] ```