Deadly Lava from Hawaii's Volcano Is Still Swallowing Everything in Its Path

Five days after Hawaii's Kilauea volcano blew its top, the flow of lava continued to spew from fissures that snaked through surrounding neighborhoods. Roughly 1,700 locals in nearby residential areas were forced to evacuate as molten rock barreled through the area, engulfing at least 26 homes in its path, CNN reports.

As fountains of lava shot up 300 feet out of cracks in the ground, waves of the dense, smoldering rock swallowed up cars, devoured trees, decimated houses, and blanketed entire roads. Locals brave enough to stick around have managed to catch some of the worst of the destruction on camera, unable to do anything but wait and document the damage.

The surreal footage has captured lava completely swallowing everything in its path, reducing cars to burning metal husks, taking down power lines, and setting homes aflame.

At one point, a stream forced its way straight through a locked gate, popping the metal fence from its hinge and spilling onto the road behind it.

Others captured devastating fires engulfing homes after rivers of molten rock flowed through the neighborhood.

Luckily, it's not like lava is cascading through town like some powerful molten tsunami. As one resident put it, the flow is just slightly "faster than a turtle," allowing locals to retreat to safer ground.

First responders are reportedly ready to evacuate even more residents as fissures continue to crack open in the areas surrounding the volcano, releasing toxic gases and threatening to spew even more lava. According to Hawaii civic defense administrator Talmadge Magno, the Big Island's evacuation zone could soon grow wider.

"If things get dicey, you got to get out,” Magno said. "If you live in the surrounding communities… be prepared. Evacuation could come at any time."

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