Guatemala declares orange alert as Fuego volcano erupts, spewing lava and ash near capital
Lava, gas and ash spew from Central America's most active volcano, 35 km from Guatemala City, as authorities evacuate nearby hamlets and close schools and a key road.
Eruption and alert
Guatemala's Fuego volcano began erupting on Sunday, 2 August, with activity intensifying through Monday morning and surging overnight into Tuesday. The national disaster coordination agency, Conred, declared an orange alert, the second-highest level, just below red emergency, on Monday evening, 3 August. The volcano, located 35 km southwest of Guatemala City, is Central America's most active and sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire.
The orange alert (danger) is declared at the national level due to the eruption of the Fuego volcano.
Evacuations and safety measures
Conred began evacuating two hamlets near the volcano on Monday evening. The government suspended classes in local schools and closed a road connecting the south of the country to the colonial city of Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Authorities urged residents to avoid ravines and high-risk zones. Local television showed images of incandescent projections and a thick cloud of sparks emerging from the volcano during the night.
Volcanic activity
The eruption produced lava flows, pyroclastic density currents on the western flank, and a towering column of ash and gas. According to the national seismology institute (Insivumeh), the ash column reached 5,000 metres above sea level and dispersed over 130 kilometres toward the coast. The government, in a statement, reported a dispersion distance of about 40 kilometres. Lava fountains reached heights of 200 to 300 metres. The first eruptions were recorded around 00:30 local time on Tuesday, according to the government.
The eruption, which began on Sunday, is increasing in explosivity.
This activity generated pyroclastic density currents toward the western flank of the volcano, as well as an ash column that reaches up to 5,000 metres above sea level and disperses westward over a distance of about 40 kilometres.
- Initial eruptive activity begins at Fuego volcano.
- Volcano enters full eruptive phase; intensity increases with lava and ash emissions.
- Conred declares national orange alert; evacuations of two hamlets begin.
- Eruption intensifies: ash column reaches 5,000 m, lava fountains 200–300 m, pyroclastic flows on western flank.
Historical context
Fuego, at 3,763 metres, has a history of deadly eruptions. In 2018, a major event killed 215 people and left around 200 missing when lava flows destroyed a village on its slopes. More than 500 people were evacuated in 2025 after gas and ash emissions, and about 1,200 were evacuated during a 2023 eruption. The country's location on the Pacific Ring of Fire makes it prone to frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
