This is the breathtaking moment the Kilauea volcano eruption in Hawaii produced spectacular lava fountains.

Dramatic footage captured by John W. Ratcliff shows fiery molten rocks spewing out from the crater on March 27.

John said: 'Kilauea just started erupting again. Simply massive in scale. Throwing up tons of debris and lots of pele hair.

'There was also smoke rising from all over the caldera and it hadn't been doing that before. Maybe something bigger is coming?'

Crowds of onlookers, some with pets, gathered at a safe distance of over half a mile to witness the event.

This eruption, which began on December 23 of the previous year, follows a pattern of brief, explosive episodes—each lasting around 13 hours, separated by pauses ranging from one day to nearly two weeks.

Kilauea is the world's most active volcanic mass and is the central feature of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Its caldera is nearly three miles long and two miles wide, with an area of more than four square miles.