FicWad

"I know it may be difficult to understand, leaving your homes where you have lived for so long, but we strongly recommend that you evacuate immediately! This town is at serious risk, and so are your lives for as long as you stay here."

I can't stress my voice enough to the people standing in front of me. Unfortunately, they can't understand a word I'm saying. The person standing next to me holds the loudspeaker to his mouth and repeats it in the different language. I hope they can hear the urgency of the situation.

Someone shouts back to me in the crowd. The man standing next to me translates "What if you're wrong? What if we all leave and nothing happens?"

"Then it would be a shame to have worried you, and we would apologise. But after all the tests we have run, we are now certain that it will. Again, I know how difficult this must be for you, but I'm sure that you'd rather stay alive!"

Again, he translates to the crowd, some gasps of shock reaching us on the stage. Someone else shouts back.

She sounded angry. Translation: "And what, if anything, is going to happen, whether we stay or not? And what proof do you have?"

"I will say this first: whether you stay or not, make sure you take a leaflet from Dannielle at the back of the hall. It will give you advice on survival and health and safety in the most dire of this situation..."

I let him translate that first before I continue. They all turn to see my colleague Dannielle waving a sheet of paper in the air. I'd rather inform them of that first before they all leave in a panic.

"... But we have seen gas emissions, tested the rocks, and measured the minor earthquakes you've been having. I won't bore you with scientific facts but I will say this..." He translates again. This time the crowd listens intently, not even a murmer or whisper between them. They eagerly await my explanation. "... The gas emissions are at the highest level, and the rocks we tested are over 200 years old. And finally the earthquakes that have been shaking this town? They are not normal earthquakes. There is a difference! They are magmatic!..."

As he translates that part, people look at each other. I've seen that look before - its the mix of confusion with concern.

"... Magmatic means lava. It is rising to the surface. Whether its tomorrow, next week, or even next month, this volcano will erupt!"

Mass panic now fills the room, and everyone starts talking at once. They want answers. I've seen this before too. They are angry and frustrated. They are wondering why this volcano is suddenly a danger. For years, they've been living in harmony with it. For years, its given them some of the best soil in the world, giving them perfect crops. But then the ground started shaking beneath their feet. They are only mild earthquakes, and they don't understand the mechanics of the Earth. They also don't understand why, after living peacefully for so long side-by-side with this mountain, it should turn against them. They don't understand that volcanoes don't have a time plan.

There is always one question I'm asked next. He translates: "If those rocks are over 200 years old, then why are we on alert? Why must we evacute after living in peace for so long?"

And I always give the same answer "Imagine a pressure cooker. Pressure builds underneath the lid. The longer its left there, the more pressure that builds. This has been building pressure for over 200 years, so imagine the destruction it will cause. Volcanoes are unpredictable, but we are lucky enough to have been given some signs. This volcano is a ticking bomb."

The conference goes on for another half an hour, with yet more arguments about the volcano being quiet for over 200 years. But there is no doubt in our minds - me and the other 2 people in our team, Dannielle and Luke - this volcano is now active.

We've made our notes, taken readings and collected information. We've added them to our files and carry them around with us wherever we go in the future. We can refer to them for other volcanoes. Of course there are more signs than this to show a volcano is active, but I won't go into that yet.

Unfortunately, we can advise people to leave, but we can't make them leave. We can't force them to do anything. All we can do is give everyone advice, give them scientific expertise, give them leaflets in the hope that they help should anything bad actually happen to them, and then collect our things and leave.

And that's exactly what we do after the conference. We have no choice. We know what will happen if it does. And we hope that other people will come with us.

Sometimes we are wrong about mountains. Sometimes they give us all the positive signs of an imminent eruption, and then calm down again. But for this one, we are right.

We move to a safe distance. We get as far away from the mountain as we can, all the while making sure we have a view to keep an eye on it. We always do this. And when we look out of our hotel window with binoculars, we see smoke rising, and lava running from the crater and towards the town at a ridiculous speed. The very town we'd lived in for the previous month.

There are different types of lava - different types of eruptions. We've seen worse eruptions than this. But it saddens us every time, because we know deep down in our hearts that no matter how hard we try, someone will not believe us and decide to stay in their home.

We can't do anything for that town now. We know there will be nothing left, homes burnt to the ground and now encased in solid rock. But when everything is finally over, and newscasters from all over the world report of the mass devastation, we will learn from the local news that out of a town of 42 people, 9 of them died.