Residents riding out volcano told to flee lava rivers

Drone video shows lava flow from Kilauea Volcano's fissure 22. Photo / AP

Rivers of lava flowed towards the ocean on Hawaii's Big Island over the weekend, forcing officials to knock on doors and urge residents holding out in two evacuated neighbourhoods to flee right away.

Molten rock trapped at least one person who was rescued by authorities.

The Kilauea volcano has been unleashing danger on the remote, rural southeastern side of the island for nearly a month, displacing thousands of residents, destroying 37 houses and forcing businesses to shut down.

A section of a key rural highway was closed after a lava flow came within about 100m, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

The two-lane highway connects Pahoa, a small town near the evacuation zones of the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens neighbourhoods, to the east coastline and links two other small highways that run north and south.

Lava was shooting up from cracks in the ground and blowing strands of volcanic glass. Explosions at the summit were sending small bursts of volcanic ash as high as 4570m.

Wind was carrying volcanic glass, gases, pollution and ash particles to other parts of the island. Authorities today advised residents to minimise exposure to avoid irritation to skin and eyes and breathing problems.

A new fissure has opened, bringing the total number of cracks spouting lava to 24 since the volcano began erupting on May 3, Hawaii County Civil Defence said.

Lava also has covered two wells at a geothermal plant. County officials said the plugged wells were stable and being monitored, and no dangerous gases have been released, such as hydrogen sulfide — a colourless, flammable gas that can be emitted by volcanoes or when organic matter and waste break down.

After weeks of scientific updates on the volcano, the US Geological Survey took a lighter tone as it responded to a question on Twitter about whether it would be safe to roast marshmallows over volcanic vents.

"We're going to have to say no, that's not safe," the agency's volcanos account replied yesterday, saying if the vent was belching volcanic gases, such as sulfur dioxide or hydrogen sulfide, the roasted marshmallows "would taste bad." The gases generally smell like rotten eggs.

Lava sends up clouds of steam and toxic gases as it enters the Pacific Ocean. Photo / AP

-AP