A new fissure in Hawaii’s Puna district has sent gases and lava exploding into the air, spurring officials to call for more evacuations as residents waited for a possible major eruption at Kilauea volcano’s summit.

Hawaii county civil defense issued an emergency alert after the fissure was discovered early Sunday morning. The agency said one “unidentified structure” was destroyed by the new vent, bringing the total number of homes and other buildings lost to the lava to nearly 40.

Hawaii's evacuees on why they live under a volcano: it's affordable Read more

Residents in the immediate area were told to evacuate, and two nearby community centers were serving as shelters for people and pets.

Geologists warn that Kilauea’s summit could have an explosive steam eruption that would hurl huge rocks and ash miles into the sky.

Thousands of people have fled their homes on Big Island and dozens of structures have been destroyed. Geologists have warned that Kilauea’s summit could have an explosive steam eruption that would spew ash 20,000ft (6,100 metres) high and spread debris up to 12 miles (19km).



The new fissure – the 18th – was reported to the west of Highway 132, along Hale Kamahina Loop Road. Residents on that road were ordered to evacuate. Two community centers were open to shelter people and pets.

Two new fissures also opened on Saturday, around the Leilani Estates neighborhood. The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the 17th fissure, which opened around 6pm on Saturday, was spattering but no flow had formed. The 16th fissure spilled lava into a field earlier in the day, close to several homes.

“It’s right by my house, which is kind of scary,” said Haley Clinton, 17, who walked to see the new crack with her father, Darryl, and sister Jolon, 15. “It’s really cool.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A lava fissure erupts as a resident stands nearby in Pahoa, Hawaii. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

From afar, the fissure gave off dull, thumping roars that sharpened to a scream from venting steam and gas, mixed with the slapping sounds of liquid lava. Within hours, the fissure had piled reddish-black lava about 40ft (12 metres) high and at least 150ft (45 metres) in length. Chunks of magma were spewed 100ft (30 metres) into the air.

The intense heat left onlookers drenched with sweat and the air was filled with an acrid, burned scent. With gas and smoke blowing in the opposite direction, there was no pungent smell of toxic sulfur dioxide.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported that the fissures opened just east of the Puna Geothermal Venture plant. Plant workers last week removed 50,000 gallons of pentane gas stored at the site. Shortly after the 16th fissure opened, the observatory said seismic activity remained “elevated” at Kilauea’s 4,000ft summit. The USGS reported that a shallow but small earthquake with a magnitude of 3.5 hit the island on Saturday.

Kilauea’s vents have been oozing relatively cool, sluggish magma left over from a similar event in 1955. Fresher magma could now emerge behind it. As the area affected widens, residents were racing to buy respirators to cope with the ash and toxic gases. David Baxter, 54, an employee of Pahoa Auto Parts, said the shop had sold about 3,000 respirators so far. The shop was all out on Saturday.

“We pretty much bought up every [respirator] in the state, and we are selling them at cost – actually, a slight loss,” said Baxter. “We need to breathe.”

Some pets have been left behind as residents have fled. The Hawaii Island Humane Society said it had rescued 16 dogs, three rabbits, four tortoises and four cats. Almost all had been picked up by their owners, and 1,400 livestock and 32 horses had also been taken from the volcano zone, the society said in a statement.