I keep coming back and laughing at your comment. I literally only had a drain snake on my mind.

That's a good trick.

You can do this for yourself at Volcano national Park in Hawai'i. If they still let people into the lava field. We got close enough to poke the new lava with sticks. It's tolerable unless you make the mistake of standing directly over it. Also if you go take flashlights, it's no fun trying to navigate a lava field by moonlight.