06x12 - Volcano's Edge

[bunniefuu]

Marty: it's easier to homestead
on the moon

Than it is on a lava flow.

Where's your homestead?

About 20 feet down.

This eclipses all.

Don't touch it, because
it'll slice you hand real easy.

We created this really magical
and beautiful place,

And we had it
taken away.

We have to deal with all this
crumbled, crushed-up lava.

Katie: I didn't come back here
for a full year.

I'm sorry.

Katie is still in shock
from what they went through.

Oh, my god,
the chain's going to break.

Marty: when you see
how difficult this is,

Some people walk away.

We're not doing that.

We're going to take it
to the next level.

Something mobile.

[ Laughs ]

Drew: this is taking that,
"oh, that will never happen,"

To, "it's happening."

-Never quit.
-That's where it gets tricky.

Marty: let nothing put out
the fire of your dream.

Not even lava.

♪♪

--Captions by vitac --
www.vitac.com

Captions paid for by
discovery communications

♪♪

Dad, I just got to say,
aloha!

Marty:
oh, my goodness!

This is unbelievable.

Oh, we have to
get out.

You've got to
be kidding me.

This is, like, end of
the world kind of stuff.

Last year, 700 homes
were lost from mount kilauea.



This is pretty sobering.

This does not feel real.

It's straight-up crazy.
It's insane.

It's everywhere.
This is not an isolated thing.

Narrator: the raney family
is 2,500 miles

Across the pacific
on the island of hawaii,

Responding to a new homesteader
in crisis.

The natural beauty
of the big island

Is matched only by the dangers
that lie beneath the surface --

Home to mount kilauea,

One of the most active volcanoes
on earth.

Locals know all too well
the unstoppable destruction

Caused by molten lava.

Homesteading in
the path of devastation

Is the daniels family.

I'm drew.
I'm katie.

And this is
our homestead.

In april 2018, we watched
our homestead

Literally go under lava.

We saw the one fissure, like,
just, like, explode,

And it was this giant,
like, plume.

It was a wall of lava rock.
It's all gone.

Everything that we did
is all gone.

Homesteading is the life
I want to give my daughter.

But right now, the property,
it's, like, 90% lava rock.

There's no home. Raneys,
we really need your help.

Don't tell me this is
where their homestead is.

Wow!

Drew: yeah.

You must be drew?
Drew.

Katie?
Katie.

Katie, nice to meet you.
Marty raney.

I'm almost afraid
to ask this question,

But where's
your homestead?

About 20 feet down.

Right here?
Right here.

Yeah, seeing it on the news,
I think, is one thing,

But, like, feeling it underneath
your feet is definitely a --

It's another thing.
-Yeah.

I didn't even come back
till a year.

I wouldn't even go see the lava.
It was just too much.

Yeah. Yeah.

We met in philadelphia
and moved out here together.

We came out here with our
life savings in our pockets.

In just a few months of living
on the island, we got pregnant.

We purchased a piece of land.
Five acres.

It felt really good,
and it presented

A really amazing
opportunity for us.

And then we started
building up a homestead.

Narrator: the growing family
immersed themselves

Into a life
of homesteading.

At that point in time, we didn't
really have a lot to lose,

So we kind of just did it.

Drew: we built a two-story
cabin, fully off-grid.

It was amazing.
It just felt like we created

This really magical
and beautiful place.

Narrator: two years of
cultivating the land

Propelled them
to off-grid success.

Drew: the physical homestead
is a lot more than just

A source of food,

Or, you know, a sense
of self-sustainability.

It's like a living classroom
for our child.

We kind of made that dream
a reality

And was starting
to really see

The fruits of the labor
on the homestead.

We were growing a lot of
coconuts, oranges, grapefruit.

We had a really lot of really
awesome things going on.

Katie: we felt really
proud of ourselves.

We were feeling really good.

Narrator:
then a fissure from the base
of mount kilauea erupted.

The daniels' homestead
was just two miles away.

All of a sudden,


Just lava spraying,
straight up.

Katie: and it sounded
like a w*r zone,

And we just had
all of our stuff in our cars,

Because we didn't know
if we were coming back.

Packing up. Don't know
when we'll be back here.

Promise we'll take extra
good care of this land

When we're back.

So, we left,
and our house was gone.

Katie: I didn't come back here
for a full year.

[ Voice breaking ]
to me, if I saw it in person,

It would make it real,

So I just kind of...

I kind of just
didn't want to see it.

I'm sorry.

Drew: we finally had our home,
and we had it taken away.

Narrator:
the family found shelter

In the neighboring town of hilo,

But returning
to their homestead requires

A treacherous 90-minute trek
around lava-covered roadways.

Our biggest obstacle
is rebuilding,

And then go back
to our original mission,

Which was to set up
a sustainable homestead

That's something that we can
pass on to our daughter.

I hope that the raneys
can help us get back.

We've seen a lot, trust me,
from forest fires, earthquakes,

Tornadoes, floods.

-Mm-hmm.
-But this eclipses all.

Is this a good idea?

Drew: we deeply feel that
this is the right move,

That this place is home.

What I'd like to do
right now

Is have you
show me the property.

Sure. Yeah.

All I see is a huge,
massive lava flow.

Is there anything left
to look at?

♪♪

So the bigger rocks
are easy to walk on.

They say it's like 'a'a,

Like,
"unh-unh, don't touch it,"

Because it'll slice your hand
real easy.

'A'a. And what's
the other type of lava?

Pahoehoe.

And that is the more liquefied,
flowy stuff that kind of,

Once it dries,
it looks more ropy.

This is actually workable,
you know,

Because trees
can root through it.

What's that right there?
That's a fern.

That's the first sign
of life on new flow.

That's amazing!
You know what it reminds me of?

What's that?
You.

Thanks.
That's a compliment.

Things are just gonna persist
and survive.

That's right.

Marty: when you dream
about homesteading

And then you commit
to that dream

And you stake out
your little piece of paradise,

It's visceral.

You've made a connection
with mother earth.

Yes, their home is 20 feet
under a thick layer

Of still-cooling lava,

But that footprint is theirs.

That is where they
staked out their dream.

They don't want
to leave this place.

That's actually
a little ray of hope.

That's right, yeah.

Narrator:
at the edge of the homestead...

So, a year later,
you stepped foot...

Mm-hmm.
...back on the homestead,

And what were you
thinking?

Everything that we worked
so hard for just gone.

And we did this all
with a toddler,

And it was just crazy.

Yeah.
Do you want to be here?

It's a very hard decision
for me to come back.

Why?
I don't want it to happen again.

One of my biggest fears
was losing my house,

And then it happened.

Misty: this family has been
displaced for a year and a half.

They bounced around
for that amount of time.

There is this strength
that both of them have,

But I can see that katie
is afraid to re-commit

To the homestead.

And, for me,
I think that's going to be

The real challenge here,
is overcoming that fear.

My goal is to bring back
life to the homestead.

Absolutely. Yes.
Right?

Because you're not
even here right now.

It would help to heal.
We do have to try again.

♪♪

Narrator: on the other end
of the property...

This is the edge.

...drew shows matt the only area
unscathed by the lava flow.

We thought we got
completely taken out,

And then we saw that tree,
which is the corner of the lot.

So this is
a lot of property.

But that cane grass.

Yeah. Yeah.
It's super-invasive before.

Now I see it as
a resource,

Because if you know
how to work with it,

That stuff
makes great soil.

It's the oasis in the desert,
you know?

It's the island
in the middle of the ocean.

This is where
all the life is.

This tarp,
it expedites composting.

All that brown, everything we
see, just came from the grass?

That's the grass breaking down.
Wow!

Yeah.

We can even use this
to rebuild on top of the lava.

Exactly.
So the fact that this is here,

We need to make it usable.
And I'm excited, man.

Yeah, me, too.

♪♪

Walking over there
in that black expanse of lava,

I saw something
that inspired me.

There's a fern growing out there
in the middle of that.

Originally it
all looks like this,

And the little seeds come,

And it grows
and then it all breaks down.

But that takes
so much time.

If it's done
naturally.

We're going to speed
that process up.

Matt: I think you're
totally right, dad.

I have an idea to accelerate
reclaiming the property

And creating a revenue stream
for katie and drew.

Katie's only stepped foot
on the homestead

In the last year and a half
just a couple of times.

She still just seems
like she's in shock.

It's about bringing life
back to the homestead.

Some sort of livestock.

Just start to focus
on the basics,

Because that's what
they don't have,

And that's what they need.

This stuff
is going to happen.

It's been happening
for thousands of years.

Building a permanent
structure there

Isn't something
we're going to do.

Something that's mobile
is going to happen here.

If that lava flow
ever comes through here again,

They'll have a means where
they can take their possessions,

Get out of here
with their lives,

And everything they own.

Narrator: to give the family
a means of escape

In the event of
future lava flows,

Marty will construct
a mobile shelter

Using a combination
of buses and lumber.

Misty will build a goat pen
with a transportable stable

That will bring life back
to the homestead

And provide it
with natural fertilizer.

Using the homestead's
remaining soil,

Matt will cultivate
a cacao grove

To provide the family
with a lucrative cash crop.

This is truly
shock and awe.

I just feel, like,
very sympathetic

To you and your family.

And I just want
to turn this back

Into that original dream
that you have.

You have all
the homesteading basics

That have to be checked off.

-Yeah.
-Water, shelter, food.

Just to give you
an idea of, like,

Where I'm at,
we build something new.

A cacao plantation.

It's a really great cash crop
if you know how to grow it.

Lightning can strike twice
in the same spot.

-Mm-hmm.
-So, with seven days,

How can we help you
with living quarters?

We are thinking about
something mobile.

That makes sense.

Yeah, that's exactly
what we were talking about.

Yeah.
Are you a worker?

I am a worker.

Well, we're going to put that
to the test in the next week,

Because we're going to need
the best out of you.

Okay.
And thank you for inspiring us.

Thank you.

Feast your eyes on this.
It's sharp.

It's like a piece
of broken glass.

Forget walking on it,
forget growing something on it,

Forget driving on it
with your tires.

Now try to build
a homestead out of that.

Narrator:
on the big island of hawaii,

The daniels' are
in desperation mode.

Their off-grid dreams

Are buried
under acres of solid lava,

And the raneys are challenged
with the daunting task

Of bringing hope back to the
homestead in just six more days.

Alright, guys. Feast your eyes
on these beauties!

One man's bus is
another man's mansion.

This is not one man's bus.
This is two man's bus.

Two?

Guess how much that this bus
cost that you're standing in?

$10,000.

$1.
What?

The bus company knows
that a lot of people

Were left homeless
from the lava flow,

So we are the recipients of
a total stranger's generosity.

Here's some things
you need to know.

This one right here
doesn't run.

We need to hope
this one does run.

You're going to be driving this.
Come on up here.

If we can get these buses
up this crazy jungle road,

This is drew
and katie's new home.

They lost everything.

It's a pretty big deal
if we succeed,

But it's a pretty big if.

Okay, once I get rolling, matt,
don't hit the brakes.

We're going to need
the speed for the hills.

♪♪

Wow!

We are going fast!

I have no control!

Ah!

We're coming
to our first hill!

It'll be a miracle if that bus

Doesn't ram into
the back of that truck.

Marty: it's a 90-degree turn,

And these things
are 40 feet long.

Oh, god,
look at that truck!

Misty: oh, my god,
the chain's going to break.

Not only do they got to make
that corner, they're on a hill.

Marty: the first thing that's
going to go is that chain,

And I'd be surprised if we
didn't snap it on this maneuver.

Matt: you might have to jerk
a little harder than that.

Alright! Back in business.

Alright!

Marty: yee-haw! [ Whistles ]
whoo!

Okay, matt, check your brakes.
We're going down the hill.

Copy.
I'm on the brakes.

Holy crap!

Hold on!

I think
we're going to make it!

Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Yeah!

[ Laughs ]

We did it!

Look what he's doing.

Oh, my gosh!

What do you think?

The marty party bus arrived,
huh?

Yes, sir!

Good job, matt.

Matt: oh, my lord!

Not just anybody
could have done that.

That was
full-on insanity.

-I bet!
-Oh, my god!

And you might have lost
a few neighbors.

-Oh, my god!
-Oh, yeah? Just like that?

That said, let's walk over
and look at it.

-Cool.
-Want to?

-Yeah, absolutely.
-Yes.

Marty: you see any potential?
Yes or no?

Hell, yeah. Once all
these chairs are out of here,

That's a lot of dry space.
Absolutely.

Alright. We did talk to you
about mobility.

Mm-hmm.

And this thing
doesn't have an engine,

So this one
isn't mobile.

So we had to come up
with a plan b.

Okay, misty, I think
we're ready. Come on in.

-No way!
-Oh, my gosh!

That's a blue schooly.
That's awesome!

Dude, this thing is solid.
It's cool.

It looks cool.

Yes!

That is amazing.

-You're missing the celebration.
-Come on over here.

Good job, misty.

I thought we lost you
a couple of times.

You guys were
going really fast.

We had to make some hills.

Oh, my gosh!

What do you guys think?
I got no words.

That's just, like, the first
time ever I'm speechless.

Yeah, I know!
So, guys,

Now we have
potential dwelling.

-Mm-hmm.
-Mm-hmm.

With it between
the two vehicles, right?

-Mm-hmm.
-Is that something

That would be
an adequate home

To get you back
on the homestead?

Absolutely.
Yeah.

I am so overwhelmed.

Like, thank you all so much
from the bottom of my heart.

I, like, feel like this
is the next step.

This is huge.

Drew: katie's biggest fear
was to lose her home,

So for her to come back and face
her fear means a lot to me.

I think it's necessary
in the healing process.

♪♪

Narrator:
a few miles from the homestead,

Matt and misty learn a lesson
in cacao crop cultivation

From matt's wife
and father-in-law.

Misty: this is such a unique
homestead we're visiting,

Because it's just a couple
miles away from family.

Hey, you guys!

-Hey, misty!
-Hello!

Matt: me and my wife, katie,

We're taking care of her
family's cacao plantation,

And it's just really cool to,
you know,

Take knowledge
that I got from my family

And gift it
to these homesteaders.

Me and misty came here
to really pick your brain.

You are
the resident expert,

Especially in leilani,
for chocolate.

Misty: mm-hmm.
Not necessarily.

Yeah, you are.

I've had your chocolate,
and I consider you the expert.

So, we are at a homestead that
is literally covered in lava.

-Yeah.
-The most recent flow.

So, the jungle
back here,

We have some cacao
and some vanilla orchids

And stuff back there.

Let's look at some cacaos.

-Cool!
-Yeah. I'm excited!

Narrator: cacao farming is
a burgeoning industry in hawaii,

With around 150 acres
of crops statewide,

And a projected growth
of 10 times that amount

In the next decade.

The plants thrive
in tropical climates,

And its beans are harvested

And used as the main ingredient
in chocolate.

Right after the eruption,
it was, like, devastated.

Everybody that grows cacao
on this island,

They all know each other,
and plugging these homesteaders

Into that sort of community
is exactly what they need.

Yeah.

What's crazy is
this jungle has grown up,

But if you
just scrape down,

I mean, how far down
is the lava?

-It's not very deep.
-It's shallow. Yeah.

Misty: so this is actually
really promising

For what
we're trying to do,

Because this family,
it's no joke.

Like,
their whole homestead,

Their whole property
is just a giant lava field.

So, if we did something like
this, that's pretty doable.

We need to pick
some of these pods.

We got one. We need
at least five, I'd say.

Sweet!

That one's ripe.

Oh, they're heavy.

This is potentially a crop
that grows year-round?

Brian: yeah.

Seeing what my father-in-law
did planting cacao

Just 6 inches above the lava
gives me hope that,



Drew and katie could have
a lucrative cash crop

Thriving
on their homestead.

Narrator: coming up...

Okay, lift it, please!

Whoa! Whoa!

I hear crunching!

And, later...

A good operator can do this
without k*lling me.

Narrator: in hawaii, a volcano
eruption has buried a homestead

Under tons of hardened lava,

And the raneys have
only four more days

To help the daniels family
rise from the rubble.

So, you can grow cacao


Matt: planting on this
lava terrain is difficult,

But it's not impossible.

If we can layer the soil
with other organic materials

So the moisture doesn't escape
through the lava rock,

Those cacao trees
can thrive out here.

So, right here,
make a big "x."

I'm talking, like,
graffiti art.

Good.

I think because this is
such a unique terrain,

And we all don't really know
the best way to do it,

I think we're all learning
how to do it together.

We will all learn
from this week,

The good, the bad, the ugly.

Think it'll be good.

Okay, so, we have
this path lined out.

Alright?
So, we got to dig a hole first.

Good.
Matt: I completely understand

Why katie's reluctant
to come back to her homestead.

Losing your home the way
they did is traumatic as heck.

Hopefully this process
will show her

That it's possible
to start again.

♪♪

♪♪

Misty: we're going to make
a goat stable.


Okay.

And basically we need
a bottom plate

And a top plate.
Mm-hmm.

And studs in the middle.
Mm-hmm.

All the way to 60 inches.

So then you, like, got,
like, a point.

Oh, okay.
Give yourself a straight line,

And we're going to cut.

Alright, go.

There you go.
Perfect.

So,
let's stand this guy up.

First wall done.

I trust misty,
and I think that --

I think she knows
what she's doing, yeah.

Ah!

[ Man laughs ]

It's all good!
It's all good!

Narrator: a 900-square-foot pen
will enclose the goats,

And misty will build
a mobile goat stable.

She'll attach
a rain-funneling system

To collect drinking water,

And in an emergency,
the mobile goat stable

Will transport them from
the homestead in an emergency.

I want to kind of
strengthen this floor

So you have boards running
this way and this way,

And I think,
as far as rigidity goes,

It'll be really strong.
Yep.

Katie is still in shock
from what they went through.

All these little pieces
that are starting to transform.

This goat shelter,
this is a really big deal.

It already feels --
do you feel it?

Feels way stronger, yeah.
More stable.

She's excited and she's building
and she's using tools,

And she has plans
and ideas.

It's pretty awesome.

Framing and building
is super-easy.

It's all the same.
And once you learn how to do it,

You have your basic tools and
your basic rules, and that's it.

Yeah.
It doesn't really change

If you're in a goat shelter
or a million-dollar home.

What do you think?
Look good?

It looks great.

Narrator:
in the middle of the homestead,
marty races to get his plan

For the mobile shelter
off the ground.

Marty: so, we have a bus.

It wasn't engineered
to have the roof cut off

And then build a second-story
cabin loft on top of it.

If I cut too low,
there's a good chance

That all of this glass
will be flimsy,

And then we have a real problem.

But I'm not going to know
until I cut.

Anybody can drag in a bus
to a piece of property

And pat themselves on the back
and go, "look at me."

We're not doing that.

Alright!
Batten down the hatches.

We're going to take the bus
to the next level.

Narrator: marty will convert
the bus by removing the roof

And grafting on
a second-story cabin.

The roof will incorporate
a water catchment system,

Providing running water
for an outhouse.

At the rear of the bus,
a lanai will be constructed

Out of 10-foot-tall lehua trees
sourced from the property.

The drivable school bus will be
an additional living space,

And, in an emergency,
will tow the shelter to safety.

Okay, lift it, please!

Whoa! Whoa!

I hear crunching!

Let it down, please!

Marty: we're about to
take the top off of this bus,

But I don't want
to wreck anything.

It's time to hang 10.

Lift it!

Lift it.

Hang loose!

Whoa!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

Swing it up!

Hang 10!

[ Laughs ]

Hang 10, buddy.

Marty:
what I was concerned about was

Would we have
some flexibility on the glass?

But because we cut
far enough away

Into the concave
insulated piece,

Which is structural,
we're good to go.

We're about to frame
a second story on a bus.

My way 2 feet.
Walk it in.

The second I cut into the roof
of that tour bus,

I realized there was hope to
make this a livable homestead.

Okay, guys, after you.

Please.
Alright.

Oh, my goodness!

Without the amount of energy
and creativity

That the raneys
bring to the table,

We would definitely
still be

Just kind of
sitting on a pile of rocks.

Oh, my gosh!
How's that view?

The amount of resources

And know-how that these guys
bring is just next level.

So, I didn't know
till today

That you actually have
ocean-view property.

-That's right.
-It's amazing.

Yeah, it is.
What do you envision?

Would you sleep up here?

This would be
an amazing bedroom.

This would, yeah.
Yeah.

To wake up and see everything,
I think that would be beautiful.

It's just so wild.
It's so innovative.

It's -- I don't know.
I think it's great.

I think this will give us
a lot of freedom

And make it feel
really comfortable

And make it feel
like a home.

Moving to hawaii has been
a journey in itself,

Because when we were finally

Starting to go through
this adjustment period

Of being parents
for the first time

And being homesteaders
for the first time,

That's when
the lava happened.

So to see the transformation
that's happening

Even just in this week
is pretty awesome.

Narrator:
on the big island of hawaii,

A young family's
homesteading dreams

Are buried under solid lava.

Drew: we want to set up
a sustainable homestead

That we can pass on
to our daughter.

To aid in securing the fence
for the goat pen,

Misty relies on
another hawaiian native,

Her husband, maciah.

So, the whole big island
is solid lava rock,

And as soon as you go down
to dig anything,

These t-posts, anything,
it's going to be problematic.

So we've scored some rebar
and that thing.

And this is
a big old 2-foot bit

So we can get a lot of depth
into the blue rock

And keep that fencing
rigid enough for baby goats.

Maciah's here helping me build,
which, at this moment, man,

I could use
all the help I can get.

Okay.

This is
the moment of truth,

Because we need this
to pound in super-tight.

Okay, I'm trying not
to get to excited.

So you've got to drive
this thing a foot down.

Do you want a bigger hammer?
Mm-hmm.

Okay, I think we might have
bottomed out right there.

I think that's it.
Oh, man, maciah, feel that.

Oh, yeah,
that's b*mber.

And then we tie the two together
and now you're actually tied

Into that bedrock,
which is pretty sturdy.

You got a foot of anchor in
solid rock that's friction fit.

Like,
that's not going anywhere.

We'll get them all in,
roll the fencing out,

Tie it all together,
and pull the trailer down.

♪♪

Narrator: at the mobile shelter,

Marty begins construction
on the covered lanai.

I've got to make a hole centered
on that eyeball.

Plan is to build a 20'x20' roof.

Keeps the homesteaders
out of the weather.

It provides 400 square feet
of rain catchment.

But what's going to hold it up?

There's nothing out here,
except massive ohia trees.

We're going to have a 4'x12'
rest in a notch

That we'll put in here.

I'm going to go 6 inches.

When I bury that tip
of that bar that deep,

I know that I have a 6-inch cut.

Now I'm gonna plunge cut it
right through there

And cut that notch out.

Three cuts, in, in, plunge cut.

It receives the 4-inch stalk.

Bad news is I need four more.
Out of my way.

We're going to use
indigenous red cinder

From an ancient lava flow.

Add a little cement,
add a little water.

When it dries, you have
a structurally sound pad

To place a very heavy ohia tree.

Marty: down!
That's where it gets tricky.

♪♪

Give it a love tap.

A good operator can do this
without k*lling me.

Watch the bottom.

Yeah, you're on.
Do it!

Get on the other side,
please.

Good man.

Let it down!

Easy!

I'm cutting it loose!

Thank you!

Come and read that, please.
Middle, dead center.

Level.
Exactly.

As you can see,
this will be a tremendous canopy

For rain catchment,

But, more importantly,
living space underneath.

♪♪

♪♪

Woman: whoo!

Alright,
let's unload this cardboard.

Okay.

Narrator: matt and katie
plant new vegetation

To resuscitate the homestead's
barren landscape.

There's a ton of little cracks
on the surface area

For all those roots
to grow out around.

You can grow on this lava.

The fact that you can
break it up and dig a hole,

That's your first big plus.

But how you put soil inside
of that hole in the lava is key.

The first layer
is that cardboard layer.

That's going to make sure
that our soil doesn't just

Flush into the strainer
that is all this lava.

Then, on top of that,
some old, rotting wood.

That's going to break down,

And that'll make
more soil over time.

And then on top, we've put this
really awesome mulch

That we got from
the mac nut factory,

And it's all just --
it's macadamia nuts.

Katie: so, when we first started
the homestead,

I was pregnant,

And so I wasn't really
that involved

In a lot of the projects.

But this is exciting to finally,

You know,
kind of touch into that world.

This cacao tree is in.

This is awesome.
Very cool!

Narrator: one week ago,

The daniels' land
was a deserted lava field.

Now a fledgling cacao orchard

Marks the start
of a lucrative cash crop

And a genesis of the homestead's
rebirth, all for $500.

What do you think?
I love it.

♪♪

Like it?
Done.

At the mobile shelter,

Marty and drew work to secure
the roof of the lanai.

So, we've been working here
a few days.

What's the consensus
on your homestead?

I mean, the last time
we did this,

I spent months planning,
you know, and developing an idea

Of what made
the most sense and --

The last time,
where was it exactly?

Pretty much, like, right here.

Was it nice?
Oh, it was amazing.

It was?
Yeah.

Why was it amazing?
Because I built it.

Is your wife coming around to
the whole notion of rebuilding

On this very footprint that
took away everything you owned?

Absolutely.
And I think this week

Has been really helpful
with that, too.

How?

Kind of pushes her
outside of her comfort zone

Into, like,
more of that learning zone,

And showing her that
she can do things, you know?

I think it's just in her nature
to kind of have her guard up,

But seeing her open up has
really been nice for me, too.

I know she's always kind of
had a secret desire

To be a carpenter, or to build,
or to do things with her hands.

So this is kind of taking that,
"oh, that'll never happen,"

To, "it's happening,"
which is cool, you know?

As tragic as losing your home
has been for us,

It's definitely opened up a lot
of new doors for us, as well.

For example?
New relationships. Right here.

We're sitting on it, you know?
This is cool.

This is a life experience
that we'll never forget,

So I thank you
for that.

I won't thank you yet
for anything else,

But thank you for this.

Out of all the homesteaders,

The one that most reminds me
of myself is drew.

He had a dream here,

And it was 100% extinguished
by literal fire,

And he's the first one back
that I can see.

He's going to set an example
for all homesteaders.

Never quit.

Let nothing put out the fire
of your dream,

Not even lava.

♪♪

Narrator: one week ago,
the raneys arrived in hawaii

To save
a young family's homestead,

Buried under volcanic rubble.

One of my biggest fears
was losing my house,

And then it happened.

Six days later,

A mobile goat stable
is under construction.

That's not
going anywhere.

And potentially
lucrative cacao crops

Are growing
on its revitalized soil.

Straight back!

On the final day...

Right there!

Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!

They're beautiful animals!

They are so cute!

There's been studies in italy
with mount etna,

Where goats
are actually detecting

And acting
as early warning signs

For volcanic activity.
Mm-hmm.

And trust me, you'll know
if something's wrong.

And all you have to do
is load them up,

Hook on to the hitch,
and pull away.

Mm-hmm.

Seven days ago,

Animal life on the daniels'
homestead was unimaginable,

Because in an emergency
they'd have no means of escape.

Now, four goats live
in a mobile stable

That can be easily transported
when danger approaches,

All for 900 bucks.

To be down here with life

And to kind of see
this look on your face,

It just
made it worth it.

I couldn't imagine going through
what they went through.

To hear katie be excited
is pretty awesome.

You got goats!

Right on top of there
without k*lling me, please!

Narrator:
at the mobile shelter,

Marty puts the finishing
touches on the outhouse,

An essential build for drew

To make katie comfortable
on the homestead.

Katie: oh, my god,
it looks sketch.

Trying to spin it.

Get on that side
and spin it that way, please.

Thank you!

Okay, now,
do not get underneath it.

Let's center it up.

Come on over.

This is a flushing toilet.
Is this better than an outhouse?

Katie: yes, this is much better
than an outhouse.

And this thing will flush
because of rainwater

That happens
every day here.

So I don't care how many times
a day you want to use it,

You have indoor plumbing.

What does this
mean to you then?

It means that I would
want to stay longer.

Narrator: one week ago,
drew and katie's homestead

Was entombed under two stories
of hardened lava.

Now it has 700 square feet
of mobile shelter,

An outhouse
with a flushing toilet,

And the young family
can resettle in their slice

Of hawaiian paradise,
all for the cost of $400.

This is an important element
of a home.

Yeah.

♪♪

Misty: I don't know
what's happening either.

-Oh, my dear lord.
-The top. The one on top.

-There we go.
-Yeah!

I love it.
I love it.

Misty: you guys, you're truly
the real deal.

I think you represent
hawaii beautifully,

Because you care
about this place.

And it shows.
I'm very inspired by you.

I would live here.
I think it's really cool.

-Yeah, so do we.
-This is the beginning.

Which is kind of
a beautiful thing.

Mm-hmm.
Absolutely.

A blank canvas.

At the beginning of the week,
I really wasn't sure

What the future
actually could look like.

I definitely feel more confident
and more comfortable being here.

The land feels like
it's home.

Marty: what does it say
on the front of that bus?

-"Hoppa-on, hoppa-off?"
-Hoppa-on, hoppa-off-grid. Grid.

So, if you want, feel free
to screw that into the marquee.

-Yeah.
-That's awesome.

There you go.
Thank you, marty.

Appreciate you guys.
Yes, thank you!

Thank you, both.

Marty: I'm totally impressed

By what I've seen out here
in the last week.

The homestead has been
transformed from a lava field

To a living,
thriving homestead.

That couple is going to set
an example for all homesteaders.

♪♪

♪♪

Drew: the homestead is starting
to feel like it's taking shape.

We're grateful for everything
that you guys could do

In such
a short amount of time.

We're going to utilize
what was the lanai space

And actually close all that in
and make it a main kitchen

And living room space.

I think that's
a good spot for that.

And now it's south facing

So that we can use that roof
to collect solar energy.

All this has been super-helpful,

And it's been a huge momentum
push for us to get back here.

Thank you, guys,
for all the support,

For all the energy
that you guys gave us.

Viva la homestead!