Mt. Fitzherbert

MOUNT ST. HELENS, Wash. (AP) — A traffic reporter from Portland, Ore., was the first to see steam and ash spew from Mount St. Helens a quarter century ago — less than two months before the volcano blew its top, killing dozens of people.

"Hey, this thing's exploding!" Mike Beard, a KGW traffic spotter radioed back to the station as he flew over the snow-peaked mountain around 1:15 p.m. on March 27, 1980.