More than two dozen homes have been destroyed and dozens more are threatened by red-hot lava seeping from the Kilauea volcano, the most active in Hawaii, civil defense officials said.
Evacuation orders remained in place Monday for hundreds of residents of the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens areas in the eastern part of Hawaii's Big Island.
Hawaii's Civil Defense Agency, in its latest update, said 26 homes have been destroyed by lava oozing up from fissures in the ground.
Aerial footage showed orange streams of lava snaking through the Leilani Estates neighborhood, covering streets and igniting small fires.
Residents of Leilani Estates were allowed to return to their homes on Sunday between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm to check on their properties and remove belongings.
But residents were warned to be ready to flee at a moment's notice.
"Because of unstable conditions that involve toxic gas, earthquakes and lava activities, lines of safety can change at any time," the Civil Defense Agency said.
"The high levels of sulfur dioxide are a threat to all who become exposed," it said.
'Spirit of ALOHA is alive'
Among those who lost their homes was Amber Makuakane.
A GoFundMe page was set up to raise money for the 37-year-old elementary school teacher and single mother of two young children.
As of Monday morning, more than $29,000 had been raised for Makuakane, whose parents also live in the Leilani Estates area and have also been forced to flee their home.
Makuakane thanked the donors on the page saying "my heart is full of gratitude for each and everyone of you."
"It is true that the spirit of ALOHA is alive and well," she said.
Aloha is a traditional Hawaiian greeting that also conveys love.
Ten fissures in the ground have opened up so far, according to the Civil Defense Agency, spewing out lava and hazardous fumes.
Lava fountains have been observed spouting as high as 230 feet (70 meters) into the air.
Kilauea, which rises to 4,091 feet (1,247 meters), began erupting Thursday afternoon.
A magnitude 5 earthquake under Kilauea's south flank preceded an initial eruption and there have been several severe aftershocks since then.
A quake Friday was measured at magnitude 6.9, the most powerful to hit the islands since 1975.
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said satellites had detected a gradual sinking of ground around the volcano summit in the two weeks before the first quake.
Kilauea -- which according to Hawaiian folklore is home to Pele, the volcano goddess -- saw nearly continuous activity during the 19th century.
It is one of five currently active volcanoes on the archipelago's Big Island.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake shook Hawaii's Big Island on Friday, prompting fresh eruptions of a volcano that has been spewing lava near residential areas, forcing hundreds of people to flee.
The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at 12:32 pm (2232 GMT) and was centered on the south flank of the Kilauea volcano, which first erupted on Thursday after a series of tremors.
"This is in almost exactly the same location as the deadly 1975 M 7.1 quake," USGC said in a tweet.
That quake killed two people and injured 28.
Another 5.7-magnitude tremor had hit the island earlier on Friday and authorities said they expect more seismic activity.
The quakes have prompted the Kilauea volcano, one of five active on the island, to erupt.
Drone and video footage showed orange magma gushing up from cracks in the ground and snaking through a wooded area.
Molten lava could also be seen bubbling up through cracks on streets in the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens neighborhood where residents were ordered to evacuate on Thursday.
The area is home to about 1,700 people and 770 structures. The broader district potentially impacted by the threat is home to some 10,000 people.
No injuries have been reported but several homes were said to have been destroyed or badly damaged on Friday, authorities said.
- Dangerous gas warning -
Officials urged any remaining residents to evacuate and warned of extremely high levels of toxic fumes.
"Hawaii Fire Department reports extremely dangerous air quality conditions due to high levels of sulfur dioxide gas in the evacuation area," the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency said.
"Elderly, young and people with respiratory issues need to comply with the mandatory evacuation order and leave the area," said a statement from the mayor's office.
Governor David Ige said residents were being housed in community centers until the danger from Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, has passed.
The lava outbreak came after hundreds of small earthquakes in recent days that followed the collapse of a crater floor on the Puu Oo volcanic cone.
A 5.0-magnitude earthquake early Thursday south of the cone triggered rockfalls and potential additional collapse of the crater, USGS said.
It sent a short-lived but massive pink plume of ash wafting into the air.
Big Island resident Janice Wei, who moved to Hawaii from California -- known for its own high earthquake risk -- said the eruption was almost a "relief."
"We've been waiting for big movement from the crater, after so many small earthquakes," she told AFP.
"Hawaiians and local people have lived here forever," she said. "You know what's going on; we have warning systems.
"Everybody should be prepared."
- 'Fire curtain' -
Using his drone, area resident Jeremiah Osuna captured video footage of the lava flow, which he described as a "fire curtain" that left him feeling "shock and awe."
"It was like if you put a bunch of rocks into a dryer and turned it on -- a lot of earth and pressure and fire just moving around," Osuna told AFP.
Governor Ige activated the state's National Guard troops, and told residents to pay heed to official warnings.
He also signed an emergency proclamation releasing disaster funds to the Big Island.
In his emergency declaration, the governor noted the current flow was similar to a 1960 eruption in the Kapoho area that "caused significant damage."
Geologist Janet Babb of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory told AFP that scientists had been following an "intrusion of magma" down the rift zone since Monday afternoon in anticipation of a possible eruption.
Though the cracks from which lava was emitting had gone dormant, she emphasized that "the overall concern and the overall event has not ended."
US Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was mobilizing resources, as well as monitoring for forest fires, power outages and water supply issues.
Hawaii Island, or the Big Island, is the largest of the eight main islands that comprise the Pacific US state, an archipelago that includes hundreds of smaller volcanic islands.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
A series of earthquakes of escalating magnitudes hit Hawaii's Big Island starting Friday, as the Kilauea volcano continued to spew lava into residential areas.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the latest tremor at 12:32 p.m. measured 6.0, a strong magnitude capable of causing severe damage.
Its epicenter was located 11 miles (17.7 km) southwest of Leilani Estates, one of the communities where lava has been flowing into residential areas.
Earlier, quakes of lower magnitudes were recorded in the area.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
