Hawaii volcano eruption: Dozens of homes destroyed by lava flows as thousands flee

The number of homes destroyed by Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano has risen to 35, with the thousands of residents who have been evacuated still none the wiser on when they might be able to return.

Hawaii County officials said a further four unspecified buildings had also been destroyed by lava and warned that fissures created by the main eruption are also causing steam and toxic gasses to vent out unpredictably.

Authorities are monitoring the activity in each of the districts and some of the 1,700 residents displaced have had brief opportunities to return home to collect pets and essential possessions or medications.

Residents said the lava which threatens their homes and livelihoods was a “fact of life” when living at the foot of Kilauea (pronounced kill-ah-way-ah), one of the world’s most active volcanos.

It has been erupting periodically since 1983, and in mid-April the United States Geological Survey warned that pressure was again building up and an eruption from the cone or along its “east rift zone” was likely.

Leilani Estates was one of the most at risk communities in the rift zone where several houses have been destroyed.

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Amber Makuakane Kane, 37, a teacher and single mother of two, told the Associated Press her three-bedroom house in Leilani Estates was destroyed by lava.

The dwelling was across from a fissure that opened Friday, when “there was some steam rising from all parts of the yard, but everything looked fine,” said Ms Makuakane.

On Saturday, she received alerts from her security system that motion sensors throughout the house had been triggered. She later confirmed that lava had covered her property.

Ms Makuakane grew up in the area and lived in her house for nine years. Her parents also live in Leilani Estates.

“The volcano and the lava – it’s always been a part of my life,” she said. “It’s devastating, but I’ve come to terms with it.”

Lava has spread around 387,500 square feet (36,000 square meters) surrounding the most active fissure, though the rate of movement is slow. There was no indication when the lava might stop or how far it might spread.

“There’s more magma in the system to be erupted. As long as that supply is there, the eruption will continue,” US Geological Survey volcanologist Wendy Stovall said.

The collapse of the crater floor on Monday triggered a succession of earthquakes and forced magma through underground chambers towards residential communities and farms.

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit the area on Friday, the largest quake to hit Hawaii in 40 years.

Cherie McArthur wondered what would become of her macadamia nut farm in Lanipuna Gardens, another evacuated neighbourhood near Leilani Estates. One of the year’s first harvests had been planned for this weekend.

“If we lose our farm, we don’t know where we’re going to go. You lose your income and you lose your home at the same time,” said Ms McArthur, who’s had the farm for about 20 years. “All you can do is pray and hope and try to get all the information you can.”

The sulphuric gas poses another problem for elderly residents, or those with respiratory conditions, living downwind of the volcano, authorities warned.

They added that the activity is beginning to show similarities to another event in the area in 1955, which lasted for 88 days, when far fewer people lived near the volcano.

“Be prepared to evacuate at a moment's notice,” the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency said in an alert on its website. Residents of Lanipuna Gardens were barred from returning home on Monday due to the volcanic gases.

“Please, the residents of Leilani [Estates] need our help. This is not the time for sightseeing. You can help tremendously by staying out of the area,” the agency said.

Reuters contributed to this report