“The Kilauea volcano spewed fountains of lava into communities on Hawaii’s Big Island on Friday (local time), forcing more than 1,500 people, including many retirees, to flee from their mountainside homes.

“The volcano, one of five on the island, began erupting on Thursday (local time) after a series of earthquakes over the past week, the US Geological Survey reported on its website.

“The latest earthquake, with a magnitude of 5.8, struck about 12:15pm on Friday (local time).

“The Hawaii governor activated the National Guard to help with evacuations and provide security to about 770 structures left empty when residents sought shelter.

“County, state and federal officials had been warning residents all week they should be prepared to evacuate, as an eruption would give little warning.”

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