Molten rock began shooting from the volcano before dawn on Monday when fissures opened in the caldera floor and propelled lava 295 feet (90 meters) into the air. The red liquid formed tall fountains and then spread across 650 acres (263 hectares). The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory estimated the lava was about 1 yard (1 meter) thick.

A toddler could have plummeted to his death on Christmas Day at Hawaii's Kilauea volcano if not for his mother's quick reaction, officials said.

Lava spewed from the Kilauea Volcano's summit caldera in Hawaii on December 23. Footage shows the molten rocks forming a fountain in the southwest part of Kaluapele caldera. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the eruption began earlier that day and covered 650 acres of caldera floor.

A boy, roughly 2 to 3 years old, ran into a closed area Wednesday at the Kilauea Overlook, coming within a foot from the edge of Kaluapele, the summit caldera, before his mother managed to pull him to safety.

The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island spewed lava on Christmas Day (December 25), keeping up its rumbling despite the alert level at the volcano being lowered.

National Park officials urged caution after a toddler nearly fell off a 400-foot cliff while the family visited erupting volcano Kīlauea. After a three-month pause the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii started erupting on Dec.