Residents flee Hawaii volcano eruption
Earthquakes also shaking area on Big Island
A day after the most active volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii erupted, fountains of lava gushed out of the ground Friday on the eastern side of the island, where residents were forced to flee from threats of fires and “extremely high levels of dangerous” sulphur dioxide gas.
A series of earthquakes — the strongest a magnitude 6.9 — also shook the area near the volcano Kilauea Friday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Kilauea’s eruption on Thursday sent white, billowing clouds of steam and volcanic ash into the sky and prompting emergency officials to order mandatory evacuations.
On Friday, authorities continued to warn residents to stay out of the area as molten rock shot high into the air from cracks in the ground in Leilani Estates, a subdivision in the Puna district.
The Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency said there was “active volcanic fountaining” in the neighbourhood, meaning the lava was springing up from ground fractures; reports indicated it was shooting 30 metres into the sky. The U.S. Geological Survey said at least three fissure vents have opened in the subdivision so far — and that more outbreaks are likely to occur along the rift zone.
At least two homes in the subdivision caught fire, Hawaii News Now reported.
On Twitter, one person wrote, “OMG my island is on fire” and included a video of lava gushing from the middle of a road.
As Kilauea roared to life, the deafening sound of grinding rocks echoed in the air and fiery red-orange lava could be seen spurting from the ground.
Emergency officials reported dangerously high levels of sulphur dioxide in the evacuation area and warned: “Elderly, young, and people with respiratory issues need to comply with the mandatory evacuation order and leave the area.” Residents in Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens were ordered to evacuate to two nearby community centres serving as shelters, and the state’s Department of Education announced that several schools would be closed due to “volcanic activity.”
Less than an hour after the eruption began Thursday, warning sirens joined the cacophony, said Maija Stenback, a resident of Leilani Estates. As dramatic as this was, the eruption and lava flow pose little threat to peoples’ lives, thanks to a monitoring and alert system in place for years.
“It’s been handled very well,” Stenback said. “Civil Defense has been saying they can’t predict it, but there’s a good possibility, so they made everybody very aware that this could happen. You know, pack a bag and be ready to leave.”