Kilauea volcano lava gaining ground, covering 4 mile area

HONOLULU, Hawaii -- Hawaii County officials say the number of structures lava has destroyed on the Big Island is now 82.

Lava is covering a 4 square mile area.

County Managing Director Wil Okabe told The Associated Press Friday that the number includes about 37 homes.

He said officials used property records to determine which structures are homes because it can be difficult to tell from aerial surveys.

The Kilauea volcano has been erupting for three weeks, spewing lava from cracks that emerged in neighborhoods and sending ash sky-high from its summit. Earthquakes also have been occurring.

About 2,000 people were ordered to evacuate from the rural communities where the lava fissures opened.