Reuters/Terray Sylvester
Lava erupts from a fissure east of the Leilani Estates subdivision during ongoing eruptions of the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii, U.S., May 12, 2018.
A new lava fissure has opened up on Hawaii's Big Island in the vicinity of a geothermal energy plant.
Just hours after the fissure opened up on Saturday morning, red and black lava had piled up about 40 feet high and more than 150 feet in length, while magma chunks sprayed up to 100 feet in the air, Reuters reported.
Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has been continuously erupting for years, but an uptick in eruptions and earthquakes in recent days have ramped up the danger for residents of Hawaii's Big Island.
Thousands of people have now been forced to evacuate, and the eruption has already destroyed dozens of structures. Geologists are warning that the volcano's summit crater could soon begin spewing huge boulders and ash.
Here's what the new fissure looks like: