The Latest: Some people evacuated by Hawaii lava go home
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The Latest on Kilauea volcano's eruption in Hawaii (all times local):
1:30 p.m.
Officials on Hawaii's Big Island are letting some people back into their homes and scaling down emergency operations as lava flows into the ocean on a path that isn't threatening new areas.
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County Civil Defense Agency Administrator Talmadge Magno told reporters Monday that fewer workers are needed to staff a 24-hour operations center and officials are reducing checkpoints.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Janet Babb says there hasn't been a lot of change in recent days as lava from an erupting volcano keeps spewing from a crack in the ground. It is flowing toward a community that got wiped out last week.
It's possible a new fissure will open or vigorous flows could emerge from vents that have been inactive. Magno says additional workers can be called in if conditions change.
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10:30 a.m.
Small explosions at the summit of an erupting Hawaii volcano could send ash into communities.
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Scientists say the blasts happened Monday, including one after a magnitude-5.4 earthquake. Ash expelled from the Kilauea volcano may cause poor visibility and slippery conditions for drivers.
The Big Island volcano has been erupting for more than a month, sending lava into neighborhoods from cracks in the ground and destroying hundreds of homes.
A river of molten rock is flowing toward a community that got wiped out last week. A fissure is shooting fountains of lava into the air, which is flowing to the ocean. Gas emissions from the vent have doubled.
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Scientists warn against venturing too close to lava hitting water, saying it could expose people to dangers from flying debris.