Faking it in Kilauea
From BearWiki
Claim: Bear is right near society on his volcano stranding, pretending to be lost right next to a museum and a parking lot.
View as seen by the Bear as he approaches the bridge, with its solid base. Camera equipment must have blocked his view of the end of the fissure a feet away. January 20, 2007.(Reference: {{{2}}} / Volcanochaser 11:45, 20 August 2007 (CDT))
The lava bridge is actually a solid part of the fissure which did not collapse as the two adjoining sides. January 20, 2007. (Reference: {{{2}}} / Volcanochaser 11:45, 20 August 2007 (CDT))
View of second bridge, crossed towards the east, but is farther west than the first bridge, which he also crossed towards the east. This bridge also has a solid foundation. The rock monument at the top was built by native Hawaiians for ceremonial purposes. It is the only man-made structure in the area and sticks out like a sore thumb as the Bear crisscrosses the area in a random pattern. The first bridge and road are to the left of the rock monument. January 20, 2007.(Reference: {{{2}}} / Volcanochaser 11:45, 20 August 2007 (CDT))
In this video, a group of people walk around the Southwest Rift Zone, where Bear filmed, and show how clever camera angles are used to hide civilization that is right around them (here; compare to the episode). As we already know, the "deadly" gasses and lava from the episode were just special effects.
