HILO, Hawai'i — Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park closed this morning after park officials feared the combined emissions from Pu'u O'o and Halema'uma'u crater would be significant hazards as the wind shifts to the west at about noon today, said Big Island Mayor Harry Kim.

That evacuation included the Volcano House hotel within the park, with guests at the hotel moved to the Naniloa Volcanoes Resort in Hilo, Kim said. He said staffing at the park would be limited to required personnel only.

Civil defense officials at 9 p.m. last night announced voluntary evacuations for five communities northeast of Halema'uma'u crater as sulfur dioxide fumes in the area are expected to intensify today.

The voluntary evacuation advisory covered the Mauna Loa Estates, Ohia Estates and Volcano Golf Course subdivisions as well as the Volcano Village and Keauhou Ranch areas.

As of this morning, no one had showed up at the emergency shelters set up in Hilo. Kim said people living in older and established communities often prefer to stay with friends or family during evacuations.

State health officials warned that computer models of the weather patterns and volcanic emissions suggest that air quality in the Volcano Village area could reach the highest "purple" level today under the color coded chart used to warn the public of the short-term air quality risks.

When conditions for an area are designated as purple, all people are advised to avoid outdoor activity, and people with respiratory problem are advised to leave the area.

Hilo and many Puna residents awoke this morning to find their homes enveloped in a thick layer of vog, with particularly high spikes in sulfur dioxide recorded in the Fern Forest subdivision and at the Volcano Village Fire Station.

Hilo and Lower Puna residents blanketed with vog this morning saw some relief as winds pushed some of the emissions away from those areas. As the winds are projected to shift to the west, that is likely to continue to clear the air on the Windward side of the island.

Lt. Col. Trey Johnson, commander of the 93rd Civil Support Team of the Hawai'i National Guard, said the hazard model being used to project the potential threat suggests the worst effects will shift west of the crater this afternoon as the wind shifts.

That breeze is expected to push a relatively narrow plume of sulfur dioxide at levels more than double the federal ambient air quality standards out to about 30 miles west of Halema'uma'u crater.

Although that could have a dramatic effect on the communities around the volcano, Kim said, it is not expected to have a huge impact on the more heavily populated North Kona communities, Kim said.

"Fortunately, there's nothing between there and Kona as far as populated areas," said Big Island Mayor Harry Kim. "We have a great distance factor of no people."

The model suggests the sulfur dioxide will dissipate somewhat before it reaches that heavily populated Kailua, Kona area, Johnson said.

Inside Volcanoes Park, officials evacuated campers from campgrounds, the Kilauea Military Camp and the Volcano House hotel. The Volcano House has 42 guest rooms.

There are 10 cabins, which have beds and showers, that were also evacuated at Namakani Paio campground, said park spokesman Michael Larson. The park campgrounds are free and open to the public on a first come-first-served basis.

"The levels of sulfur dioxide are higher then they've ever been here," Larson said. "They're way above the red level, extremely unhealthy.

"The park will reopen when the tradewinds come back," he said.

Visibility is poor on the Chain of Craters Road, he said. All 180 park service employees, except for emergency responders, also have been evacuated.