Lava fountains visible inside Hawaii volcano

Lava fountains were visibly bubbling up inside the Kilauea volcano’s crater on the Big Island of Hawaii on Saturday.

The eruption began in late September in Kilauea volcano’s Halemaumau crater at the summit on the Big Island. Officials say the current eruption isn’t near homes.

Kilauea had a major eruption in 2018 that destroyed more than 700 homes and displaced thousands of residents.

Before that eruption, the volcano had been slowly erupting for decades, but mostly not in densely populated residential areas.

As Kilauea volcano continues to erupt at its summit, victims of the 2018 eruption are getting the chance to rebuild.

A county buyout program for people who lost their homes during the massive eruption three years ago is allowing people to claim the 2017 value of their property up to $230,000. About 300 homeowners have applied for the program. There is a total of about $107 million available from federal grants.

The grant is the largest the county has ever received. Officials say 79% of eligible owners have expressed interest in the buyout program. The current eruption isn’t near homes.