Hawaii officials order some residents to flee from fast lava
Hawaii County officials are knocking on doors on several streets in the Leilani Estates subdivision alerting residents to flee fast-moving lava from Kilauea (kih-luh-WAY'-uh) volcano.
Evacuation orders were issued Monday evening for anyone in the area east of Pomaikai Street to avoid being isolated by the flow.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center on Oahu reports that a 4.4 magnitude earthquake shook the Hilina region of Kilauea volcano, southwest of the estates. Officials said it wasn't strong enough to generate a tsunami.
Lava has oozed over two wells at the Puna geothermal power plant, but county officials said the flow stopped. Officials said there was no release of any dangerous hydrogen sulfide gas after lava crept over the plugged wells.
As of Friday, lava has destroyed 82 structures, including 37 homes.
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In this Saturday, May 26, 2018 image from video released by the U.S. Geological Survey, lava sends up clouds of steam and toxic gases as it enters the Pacific Ocean as Kilauea Volcano continues its eruption cycle near Pahoa on the island of Kilauea, Hawaii. Lava from the Kilauea volcano has reached a geothermal power plant on the Big Island, approaching wells that have been capped to protect against the release of toxic gas should they mix with lava. (U.S. Geological Survey via AP) -
In a Saturday, May 26, 2018 photo, area residents, the media and national guard flock to what is now the end of Leilani Avenue to take in the fiery show at fissures 2, 7 and 8 of the Kilauea volcano near Pahoa. (George F. Lee/The Honolulu Advertiser via AP) -
This May 23, 2018, Satellite photo provided by DigitalGlobe shows lava coming out of fissures caused by Kilauea volcano, near Puna Geothermal Venture, a geothermal energy plant, in Pahoa, Hawaii. Wendy Stovall, a scientists with the U.S. Geological Stovall said lava spatter from one of the vents was forming a wall that was helping protect the geothermal plant. (Satellite Image ©2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company via AP)
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