Hawaii Volcano: Kilauea lava flows burning through communities

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Hawaii has been on high alert after Mount Kilauea erupted last week. Local officials have warned residents that the active volcano continues to pose a threat. STEVE NANNES has more.

Officials remain on high alert as Kilauea volcano continues to erupt on Hawaii's big island, endangering local residents with lava and toxic gas, prompting evacuations for more than 1,700 people.

AMBER MAKUAKANE PAHOA, HAWAII "I remember telling myself, this may be the last time I come back. And if it is, that's OK."

AT LEAST 35 STRUCTURES HAVE BEEN DESTROYED. "Get your belongings and get back out."

Some residents were allowed to return to their homes over the weekend to obtain vital items like medicine, documents, and even pets.

"Hi, Sweetie."

Many say they are unsure when they can return, or whether there will be a home to return to.

TINA MARIE PUNA, HAWAII "To me, it was important to bring the things that made me feel like home, when it's not home where I'll end up - which is, I don't know right now."

Given the unstable factors at play, officials warn conditions could change quickly. Cracks in the volcano's east rift zone, as well as a 6.9 magnitude earthquake Friday, have led experts to warn that it is hard to predict how long the volcanic activity will last. The Pacific tsunami warning center is detecting a rate of one earthquake per hour.

VOICE OF JESSICA FERRACANE HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK "That's the big concern for everybody on the island. The earthquakes continued through the night."

And the lava, over 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to melt gold, destroying nearly anything in its path.

"Just watching everybody come out of there with all their things and -- it's so sad, it's just so sad."