There are fears an erupting volcano in Hawaii could threaten a geothermal power plant on the Big Island.
The plant is located less then two kilometres away from where the Kilauea volcano began erupting last week.
A volcanic fissure with lava fountains as high as about 70m in Leilani Estates, Hawaii. Photo: AFP
About 60,000 gallons of a highly flammable liquid are stored on the Puna Geothermal site from where staff have been evacuated.
Nearby at the Leilani Estates subdivision, two new fissures spewing hazardous fumes and lava have opened in the ground bringing the total number to 12.
This image released by the US Geological Survey shows the Kilauea Volcano summit lava lake which has dropped significantly over the past few days. Photo: AFP
About 35 structures have been destroyed including at least 25 homes with more than 1700 people evacuated.
Officials said they were taking a zero tolerance to any looting or vandalism in evacuated areas.
No deaths or injuries had been reported but as more fissures opened tourists and locals were warned to heed safety warnings.
Geologist Janet Babb from the US Geological Survey said as seismic activity continued to shake the area the situation remained fluid.
"We are learning things... we are collecting lava samples, samples of each fissure as they have erupted. And so those samples have now been analysed and so we're beginning to understand more about what is going on below the ground."
Officials would update locals at a community meeting tonight.
Meanwhile, New Zealand vulcanologist Brad Scott said the continuing eruption was likely to generate more earthquakes.
Small tremors continue to be felt in the Big Island's eastern corner after the eruption produced a magnitude 6.9 earthquake on Friday.
The lava lake at Kilauea's summit was draining into the eastern rift zone and escaping through the new fissures, he said.
"Enormous volumes of molten material are moving in the volcano, pushing their way down the rift."
"So as a consequence of all of that molten material moving it's stressing and straining the volcano. It has generated many of the earthquakes. And as the Hawaiians are saying it's expected to generate more earthquakes as the eruption continues."