Explosive Kilauea eruption forces schools to close and Hawaiian residents to shelter in place

One of the world's most active volcanoes is still causing problems for Hawaiian residents.

Kilauea, a volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii, erupted anew Thursday morning, sending a plume of hot ash nearly 30,000 feet into the sky, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The volcano has been erupting continuously for three decades, but began acting up in recent weeks, sending lava flows into residential neighborhoods and creating dangerous fissures in the ground. The newest danger is an explosion of ash, which rapidly traveled across the island. Hawaii County officials told residents to shelter in place if they were in the path of the ash plume, which is expected to reach Hilo, 25 miles away from Kilauea.

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Half a dozen schools were closed Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reports, because the volcano released toxic sulfur dioxide in addition to ash, which can cause breathing problems. Nearby towns are additionally at risk of boulder-sized "ballistic blocks" that are reportedly shooting from Kilauea's central crater. Read more at the Los Angeles Times.