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People in Hawaii forced to flee a volcanic eruption that has destroyed dozens of homes and other buildings have taken advantage of a brief respite in its activity to rescue their pets and belongings.
Rivers of lava from Kilauea have already accounted for entire neighbourhoods, and those of the 1,700 evacuees from the Leilani Estates neighbourhood on Big Island who returned home during the lull on Sunday and Monday to retrieve animals, medication and important possessions were warned to be prepared to flee at any moment.
Residents of a second area, Lanipuna Gardens, were barred from returning home on Monday due to the risk of deadly sulphur dioxide gas.
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in picturesShow all 30 1 /30Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Channelized lava emerges on Kilauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone on Hawaii. The USGS said on its website that "a fast-moving pahoehoe lava flow that emerged from fissure 20... continues to flow southeast," with the quickest of three "lobes" progressing at 230 yards (210 meters) per hour.
AFP/US Geological Survey
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Lava erupts and flows from a Kilauea volcano fissure in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island
Getty Images
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures A plume of ash rises from a crater in the Mount Kilauea volcano after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the area, near Pahoa, Hawaii
EPA/USGS HANDOUT
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Kilauea has opened 14 lava-and-gas spewing fissures in total
Rex
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures
United States Geological Survey
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Lava from a Kilauea volcano fissure advances up a residential street in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island, on May 27, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii
Mario Tama/Getty Images
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures A massive flow of lava consumes houses in Leilani Estates
EPA/PARADISE HELICOPTERS
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Lava flows past trees on the outskirts of Pahoa during ongoing eruptions of the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii.
REUTERS
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures A plume of ash rises from Kilauea Volcano after a series of earthquakes over the last couple of days
USGS/Handout via Reuters
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Lava emerges from the ground after Kilauea Volcano erupted
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Steam rises from a fissure on a road in Leilani Estates subdivision on Hawaii's Big Island
AFP/Getty
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures This thermal image (looking south) shows the active overflows from the lava lake (upper left) onto the Halema'uma'u crater floor. View is toward the south.
Rex
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures The results of the eruption from Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's Big Island
AP
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Lava is seen coming from a fissure in Leilani Estates subdivision on Hawaii's Big Island
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures An aerial view of a flow of lava moves to the doorsteps of the Puna Geothermal Venture facility after a new fissure eruption within Leilani Estates sending a fast moving flow of lava began to consume homes and property, near Pahoa, Hawaii
EPA/BRUCE OMORI/Paradise Helicopters
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Smoke rises from the Pu'u 'O'o crater on the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii
EPA
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Up to 10,000 people were ordered to evacuate as flows of red lava entered residential areas
Reuters
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures A fissure erupts in Leilani Estates, one of the communities most vulnerable to Hawaii's Kilauea volcano
AP
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Smoke billows from Pu'u 'O'o crater on the Hawaii's Big Island
EPA
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Remote image released by U.S. Geological Survey, shows a new lava fissure on Kilauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone on Makamae and Leilani Streets
USGS via AP
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Kilauea volcano's Pu'u O'o vent on Hawaii's main island
AP
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Lava flows over a road in the Puna District as a result of the eruption from Kilauea on Hawaii's Big Island
Byron Matthews via AP
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Kilauea volcano erupts
AP
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Lava flowing over Mohala Street in the Leilani Estates area near Pahoa
Hawaii Electric Light via AP
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures An aerial view of a massive surface flow entering the sea at Malama Flats
EPA
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Satellite photo provided by DigitalGlobe shows lava coming out of fissures caused by Kilauea
AP via DigitalGlobe
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures The fissure complex, pictured in the upper right, continues to feed a meandering lava flow (in the center). into the Pacific Ocean in southeast of Pahoa during ongoing eruptions of the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii
REUTERS
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures Lava erupts from a Kilauea volcano fissure
Getty Images
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures A U.S. National Guard soldier (R) takes photos as lava erupts and flows from a Kilauea volcano fissure in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island
Getty Images
Hawaii Kilauea volcano eruption: in pictures
Getty Images/iStockphoto
Visitors were advised to avoid the area by officials, which said: "Please, the residents of Leilani need our help.
"This is not the time for sightseeing. You can help tremendously by staying out of the area."
Drone footage captures lava flowing out of ground in Hawaii Since Kilauea began exploding on Thursday, 12 volcanic vents have opened, sending large flows of lava into nearby residential areas.
Lava has spread around 387,500 square feet (36,000 square meters) around 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.
So far, no deaths or major injuries have been reported.
On Monday, lava was not flowing from any of the vents, officials said.
On Friday, the island was rocked by a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake, the strongest tremor since 1975.
More earthquakes and eruptions have been forecast, and could potentially last "for weeks or months," according to scientists.
A massive flow of lava consumes houses in Leilani Estates (EPA/BRUCE OMORI / PARADISE HELICOPTERS) (EPA/PARADISE HELICOPTERS) Kilauea, which is one of the world's most active volcanoes, has been constantly erupting for the last 35 years.
It predominantly blows off basaltic lava which flows into the ocean, but occasionally unleashes more explosive and damaging eruptions.
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