Lava was bubbling out of two vents in a residential neighborhood on Hawaii’s Big Island on Saturday, as Kilauea volcano erupted.

Kilauea volcano: earthquakes follow eruption as Hawaii orders evacuations Read more

Hawaii County spokeswoman Kanani Aton said two of eight vents that have formed since Thursday were actively spattering lava. A few others were releasing steam and gas while the oldest of the vents were not doing anything. The vents were following a pattern of releasing steam and gas, then spattering lava and then releasing steam again before going quiet, Aton said.

Hawaii County ordered evacuations for over 1,700 people living in Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens. The lava had burned at least two homes. US Geological Survey geologist Janet Babb said two new vents were counted overnight.

On Friday, a magnitude-6.9 earthquake struck the area as magma shifted through the volcano, the largest quake to strike the state in 43 years. Residents were warned to watch out for dangerous levels of sulfuric gas.

Babb said earthquakes reflected the volcano adjusting to the shifting magma. “The magma moving down the rift zones, it causes stress on the south flank of the volcano,” she said. “We’re just getting a series of earthquakes.” Scientists were studying whether the quakes would affect the eruption, she said.

The lava lake at Kilauea’s summit crater dropped significantly, suggesting the magma was moving east towards Puna, a mostly rural district of forests, papaya farms and lava fields left by past eruptions.

A Leilani Estates resident, Gary McMillan said his home was about 3,000ft from one of the fissures spewing lava and gas. He had remote cameras set up and said his home was still intact. Living out of his van with his wife at a community center, he said: “I was a critical care nurse for 37 years, so I understand the health implications and the dangers.”

Local authorities held a community meeting on Friday at Pahoa High School. State senator Russell Ruderman said he had experienced many earthquakes, but this time a magnitude-5.4 temblor that hit first “scared the heck out of me”. When the larger quake followed, he said, he felt strong shaking in Hilo, the island’s largest city roughly 45 minutes away.

“We’re all rattled right now,” he said. “It’s one thing after another. It’s feeling kind of stressful out here.”

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupts – in pictures Read more

Hawaii County acting mayor Wil Okabe said the larger quake cracked a beam in a county gymnasium in Hilo. Hawaii Electric Light said the jolt knocked out power to about 14,400 customers but electricity was restored about two hours later.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park evacuated all visitors and non-emergency staff as the quakes triggered rock slides on park trails and crater walls. Narrow fissures appeared at a building overlooking the crater at Kilauea’s summit. The University of Hawaii at Hilo and Hawaii Community College closed campuses to allow students and employees to “attend to personal business and priorities”.

Kilauea has been erupting since 1983 and is one of five volcanoes that make up the Big Island. Activity picked up earlier this week. The crater floor began to collapse on Monday, triggering earthquakes and pushing the lava into new chambers. The collapse caused magma to push more than 10 miles towards the populated south-east coastline.