A state of emergency was announced following the sudden eruption of one of Central America’s most hazardous volcanoes. Volcán de Fuego, renowned as one of the world’s most active and unpredictable volcanoes, began erupting in Guatemala on Monday morning, escalating by nightfall, spewing molten lava, massive ash plumes, and smoke into the sky.
Authorities responded by issuing the country’s second-highest emergency alert and swiftly evacuating residents from the high-risk zone. The Guatemalan disaster agency, Conred, declared a nationwide orange alert due to the Fuego volcano eruption, evacuating two nearby villages.
Evacuated individuals are seeking refuge at a nearby shelter while ongoing monitoring of the area is being conducted. Fuego’s deadliest eruption occurred in June 2018, resulting in nearly 200 fatalities during the most significant eruption in the region since 1974.
Guatemala, situated on the Pacific’s renowned “Ring of Fire,” frequently experiences seismic and volcanic events. In the past year, 500 people were evacuated as Fuego emitted ash and smoke, prompting the closure of schools and a road leading to the nearby city of Antigua. A previous eruption in 2023 led to the evacuation of approximately 1,200 residents from the vicinity.
The volcano’s activity is currently increasing, with continuous lava flow on the southwest side of the mountain, as reported by Conred. Volcán de Fuego, translating to ‘volcano of fire’ in Spanish, is located in the Sierra Madre mountain range in Central America, approximately 16km west of Antigua, a popular tourist destination.
Known for its nearly constant low-level activity, Fuego releases ash, smoke, and minor explosions approximately every 15-20 minutes. While larger eruptions are less frequent, this recent event marks the ninth significant eruption since 2015. Conred, Guatemala’s National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction, confirmed the hazardous conditions in the area.
The famously unpredictable Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala erupted on Monday, marking the third major eruption in four years for Central America’s most active volcano. Fuego erupted twice in 2023, necessitating the evacuation of around 1,700 individuals for their safety. In 2018, it erupted, claiming 215 lives as lava flowed into a nearby village.