Lava from Hawaii volcano enters ocean from 3 flows

HONOLULU — Lava entered the ocean from a third flow Thursday, marking the third week of a Hawaii volcano eruption that has opened up nearly two dozen vents in rural communities, destroyed dozens of buildings and shot miles-high plumes of ash into the sky.

Low lava fountains were erupting from a nearly continuous 2-mile-long (3.22-kilometer) portion of the series of fissures that have opened up in the ground, scientists said Thursday. The fountains were feeding channelized lava flows down to the coast. The eastern-most channel split, creating three ocean entries. Since the eruption began on May 3, Hawaii County has ordered about 2,000 people to evacuate from Leilani Estates and surrounding neighborhoods. Hawaii officials have said they may need to evacuate a thousand more people if lava crosses key highways and isolates communities in the mostly rural part of the island where the Kilauea volcano is erupting. A blocked highway would cut people off from the only route to grocery stores, schools and hospitals. The U.S. Marine Corps said Thursday that it has sent two CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters from a base

near Honolulu to help if

more evacuations become necessary. Each helicopter can carry 50 passengers. The volcano has opened more than 20 vents in the ground that have released lava, sulfur dioxide and steam. pouring The down lava the has flank been of the volcano and into the ocean miles away. buildings, Lava has including destroyed about 50 two dozen homes. One person was seriously injured after being hit by a flying piece of lava.