Fissures spread from Hawaii volcano, endangering homes

Emergency crews said yesterday they are poised to evacuate more people as fissures kept spreading from Hawaii’s erupting Kilauea volcano, five days after it started exploding.Around 1,700 people have already been ordered to leave their homes after lava crept into neighbourhoods and deadly volcanic gases belched up through cracks in the earth.The evacuation zone could now grow as fissures are spreading into new areas on the eastern side of the Big Island, Hawaii Civic Defense Administrator Talmadge Magno told a community meeting “If things get dicey, you got to get out,” he said. “If you live in the surrounding communities...be prepared. Evacuation could come at any time.”Kilaueax has opened 12 volcanic vents since it started sending out fountains and rivers of lava last Thursday, officials said.Lava was not flowing from any of the vents on Monday. Resident Heide Austin said she left her home just west of the current eruption zone after noticing small cracks appearing at the end of her driveway. One eruption near her home “sounded like a huge blowtorch going off,” said the 77-year-old who lives alone. “That’s when I really got into a frenzy.”