Guatemala’s Fuego Volcano Erupts, Sending Lava and Ash into the Air

Sun Sep 06 2026 08:57:52 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

The Fuego volcano’s latest eruption has sparked evacuations and orange alerts as lava and pyroclastic flows threaten local communities.

The Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupted, spewing lava and ash across its slopes and prompting protective measures by authorities. Government agency Conred issued a nationwide orange alert, warning residents of pyroclastic flow risks and ash clouds. Evacuations began in at least two villages on the volcano’s flank. Schools near the volcano closed, and windows and doors were urged to be kept shut. Historically, Fuego’s 2018 eruption killed over 200 people in a rapid pyroclastic flow.

The eruption of the Fuego volcano in Guatemala has triggered the evacuation of at least two villages on its slopes.

Fuego, one of the most active volcanoes in the Western Hemisphere, started spewing lava and ash on Monday.

Pyroclastic currents – rivers of gas, volcanic ash and rock fragments – continued to flow down the volcano’s south‑eastern slope early on Tuesday, the agency monitoring its activity said.

Conred issued a nationwide orange alert, the second highest, and warned locals that further eruptions could create additional pyroclastic flows and billowing ash clouds.

Conred urged people to keep windows and doors closed, and school lessons were cancelled in towns close to the volcano.

Fuego lies just 16 km (10 miles) west of Antigua, a popular tourist destination known for its colonial heritage.

The active stratovolcano is also a popular spot for hikers, but Conred cautioned that visitors and residents should stay away from hazardous areas, especially the slopes.

In 2018, a fast‑flowing pyroclastic surge from Fuego killed more than 200 people in the Las Lajas ravine.