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The Kilauea volcano spewed fountains of lava into communities on Hawaii's Big Island on Friday (local time), forcing more than 1,700 people, including many retirees, to flee from their mountainside homes.
- Residents in communities close to the volcano are being evacuated
- The volcano has been erupting since Thursday (local time)
- No deaths or injuries have been reported
The volcano, one of five on the island, began erupting on Thursday (local time) after a series of earthquakes over the past week, the US Geological Survey reported on its website.
The latest earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.9, struck about 12:15pm on Friday (local time).
The Hawaii governor activated the National Guard to help with evacuations and provide security to about 770 structures left empty when residents sought shelter.
County, state and federal officials had been warning residents all week they should be prepared to evacuate, as an eruption would give little warning.
The geological survey raised the volcano's alert level to warning status, the highest possible, meaning a hazardous eruption was imminent, underway or expected.
Residents in Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens subdivisions, home to about 1,700 people, were ordered to evacuate after public works officials reported steam and lava burbling up from cracks in the road, the county's Civil Defence said.
Photo:
A residential street is blocked by a lava flow from the eruption. (AP: Hawaii Electric Light)
Hawaii officials said two homes in one of the rural subdivisions had been burned by lava from the erupting volcano.
Authorities are still assessing the extent of the damage. No injuries or deaths were reported.
"There are lava tubes on our property," said Dale Miller, 58, a Leilani Estates resident, referring to the natural tunnels underground that drain lava during an eruption.
"The whole thing is Swiss cheese."
"It felt like there was something under the house — like a big snake was moving under the house," said Lee, who added this was the first time in eight years of living by the volcano that he had had to evacuate.
Civil defence officials have warned the public about high levels of sulfur dioxide near the volcano, one reason for the evacuation orders. The gas can cause skin irritations and breathing difficulties.
Keala Noel, 64, also from Leilani Estates, said she didn't feel the lava was directly threatening them, but came to the shelter about 3:00am on Friday (local time) because of the sulphur.
"We stayed because we didn't feel any imminent danger. But I could hardly breathe yesterday."
Two emergency shelters were opened to take in evacuees, the Civil Defence Agency said, while Governor David Ige activated the Hawaii National Guard to provide emergency help.
"Please be alert and prepare now to keep your family safe," he said on Twitter to residents living near the volcano.
One resident, Ikaika Marzo, told Hawaii News Now he saw "fountains" of lava as high as 125 feet (38 metres). Others also told the news network they smelled burning brush and heard tree branches snapping.
Footage from a drone aired on the Hawaii News Now website showed lava incinerating trees as it crept near structures.
A 150-metre-long fissure erupted with lava for about two hours in Leilani Estates at 5:30pm, the Hawaii Volcano Observatory said on its website.
Lava, which can reach temperatures of about 1,150 degrees Celsius, spread less than about 10 meters from the fissure, the observatory said.
"The opening phases of fissure eruptions are dynamic and uncertain. Additional erupting fissures and new lava outbreaks may occur," it said.
A plume of red ash rose from the volcano's Pu'u 'O'o vent high into the sky over the island, and was captured on photos on social media.
Production at the Puna Geothermal plant was suspended until further notice, the Civil Defence Agency said on Friday, while Hawaii Electric Light said crews were disconnecting power in the areas affected by the active lava flow.
The Kilauea volcano has been erupting nearly continuously for more than three decades.
Lava flows from the volcano have covered 125 square kilometres, according to the US Geological Survey. Scientists say it is nearly impossible to predict how long an eruption will last.
Betty Long, 72, another Leilani Estates resident, evacuated to the shelter near Pahoa in the early hours of Friday morning, but her husband stayed behind with their pets because he was afraid of looters.
"I think my husband is like a lot of residents there" who are assuming looting is going to be a problem.
"That's why they are reluctant to leave," she said.
Reuters/AP
Topics: volcanic-eruption, disasters-and-accidents, hawaii, united-states
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