▁fast - mov ing ▁la va ▁flows . ▁That ▁er u ption ▁was ▁remark ably ▁similar ▁to ▁one ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁that ▁destroyed ▁Mas cal i . ▁The ▁ 1 9 9 1 – 1 9 9 3 ▁er u ption ▁saw ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Z af fer ana ▁threatened ▁by ▁a ▁la va ▁flow , ▁but ▁successful ▁di version ▁efforts ▁saved ▁the ▁town ▁with ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁only ▁one ▁building ▁a ▁few ▁hundred ▁metres ▁from ▁the ▁town ' s ▁margin . ▁Initial ly , ▁such ▁efforts ▁consisted ▁of ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁earth ▁bar riers ▁built ▁per pend icular ly ▁to ▁the ▁flow ▁direction ; ▁it ▁was ▁hoped ▁that ▁the ▁er u ption ▁would ▁stop ▁before ▁the ▁artificial ▁bas ins ▁created ▁behind ▁the ▁bar riers ▁would ▁be ▁completely ▁filled . ▁Instead , ▁the ▁er u ption ▁continued , ▁and ▁la va ▁sur mount ed ▁the ▁bar riers , ▁heading ▁directly ▁toward ▁Z af fer ana . ▁Engine ers ▁then ▁decided ▁to ▁use ▁explos ives ▁near ▁the ▁source ▁of ▁the ▁la va ▁flow , ▁to ▁dis rupt ▁a ▁very ▁efficient ▁la va ▁t ube ▁system ▁through ▁which ▁the ▁la va ▁travel led ▁for ▁up ▁to ▁ ▁without ▁losing ▁significant ▁heat ▁or ▁fluid ity . ▁The ▁main ▁explos ion ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁destroyed ▁the ▁t ube ▁and ▁forced ▁the ▁la va ▁into ▁a ▁new ▁artificial ▁channel , ▁far ▁from ▁Z af fer ana , ▁and ▁it ▁would ▁have ▁taken ▁months ▁to ▁re - est ab