Lava destroys five homes in Hawaii after Kilauea volcano erupts and causes orange magma to gush from cracks in the ground sending nearly 2,000 fleeing as toxic gas fills the air

At least five home have been destroyed by spewing lava from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano. Pictured above is a 2,000 foot long fissure that erupted within the Leilani Estates subdivision and ignited a home

The number of homes destroyed by spewing lava from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano continues to climb after the eruption forced nearly 2,000 people to evacuate given the sulfur dioxide gas threatening to harm anyone who remained in the area. No injuries have been reported but at least five homes were destroyed on Hawaii's Big Island when lava started shooting out of openings in the ground after being triggered by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake last week. The Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory said eight vents, each several hundred yards long, have opened in the neighborhood since Thursday.