USA TODAY International Edition
Lava leaves fiery trail of destruction in Hawaii
More quakes, eruptions likely as volcano rages
PAHOA, Hawaii – The massive lava flow oozes like fiery molasses, gobbling up everything in its path: homes, power poles, roads and trees.
The boiling vents roar like ocean waves, throwing lava hundreds of feet into the air and igniting nearby vegetation.
Flames creep across what were once lush green yards, leaving a smoldering trail of destruction.
Trees and utility poles crash to the ground dozens of feet from where the crackling flow surfaced.
It was a scene dramatic — and dangerous — as a menacing new lava flow from the Kilauea volcano was on a collision course with homes in the Leilani Estates neighborhood of the Big Island.
Twenty-one homes were destroyed,
and levels of sulfur dioxide — which can cause respiratory distress and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat — were elevated, Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim tweeted Sunday.
About 1,700 people and hundreds of animals evacuated the Leilani Estates area near Hilo on Thursday, but some refused to leave.
“How can I walk away from this?” Greg Chunn said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Two fissures appeared overnight, bringing the total to nine that opened in the neighborhood since Thursday.
Fire officials conducted another safety sweep of homes Sunday and watched helplessly as the lava engulfed a green, single-story house.
Greg Webber, another resident who refused to evacuate, said he watched eight of his neighbors’ homes burn.
“I won’t leave until it’s an inch from my house,” he said. “I’ve been through this a million times.”
Hundreds of small earthquakes rumbled through the area after Friday’s magnitude-6.9 temblor hit — the largest earthquake to jolt Hawaii in more than 40 years. Magma moving through Kilauea set off the quakes, and geologists warned of aftershocks.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the event is far from over. More earthquakes and eruptions could cover the area with plumes of ash. The agency said it measured a jarring 477 earthquakes on the island over the prior 24 hours, though many were small and probably not felt by residents.
Kilauea is one of five volcanoes on the island, an attraction for the 8.9 million visitors the state sees annually. One of the world’s most active volcanoes, it has been erupting since 1983.
One of the biggest attractions, Volcanoes National Park, is closed because of quake damage.
Airport officials monitored the runways in Hilo for earthquake damage, and jetliners coming from the mainland carried extra fuel so that they could divert to Honolulu if the volcano became more active.
More than 100 people stayed at a Red Cross shelter for a third night Saturday, trying to keep their spirits up.
Evacuee Ellie Garnett fretted about her four dogs and cat, whom she left Thursday during the evacuation. Garnett said she took a carload of belongings to a storage unit but wasn’t allowed to make a second trip back to get her animals. Police and the National Guard blocked entrances to the area to prevent looting and gas exposure.
Garnett said she left the animals water but worried they might die from the poison gases that often accompany this kind of lava flow.
At the shelter, evacuees huddled in small groups to discuss their options and trade rumors about which houses were destroyed. Kids played on a jungle gym alongside more than a dozen dogs, chickens, two parrots and a goose. Because their homes are built near a volcano, few residents have replacement insurance.
Evacuee Sammy Walton said he wasn’t in a hurry to get home. He, his wife and their dog, Sugar, were welcomed with open arms at the Red Cross shelter. “This beats working,” joked Walton, a homebuilder who imports tiny homes to the islands.