Guatemala elevated its national alert to orange after the Fuego volcano erupted, producing lava flows and ash plumes that rose roughly 6,000 metres. Authorities began evacuating two nearby villages and suspended in-person classes in affected municipalities. The Institute of Volcanology warned the volcano may become more explosive and highlighted the risk of hot debris flows on the western and southern flanks. Officials urged residents to follow evacuation orders and safety guidance.
Fuego Eruption Sparks Nationwide Orange Alert; Villages Evacuated as Ash and Lava Reach 6 km
Fuego erupted on Monday morning and by nightfall it intensified, with lava flows and huge plumes of gas and ash spewed into the air (Johan ORDONEZ)
Guatemalan authorities raised the nation's second-highest emergency level — an orange alert — after the Fuego volcano launched a powerful eruption on Monday, sending lava flows down its slopes and towering ash plumes into the sky.
Conred, the disaster coordination agency, said the alert was declared nationwide and urged residents to follow evacuation guidance. Video released by emergency services showed incandescent lava cascading down the flanks of the 3,763-metre (12,346-foot) volcano while clouds turned red from the eruption.
"An orange (danger) alert has been declared nationwide due to the eruption of the Fuego volcano," Conred said on X.
The eruption began Monday morning and intensified by nightfall, with ash plumes reported to reach about 6,000 metres (roughly 6 kilometres / 4 miles). Officials began evacuating two villages close to the volcano; Fuego lies approximately 35 kilometres (22 miles) from Guatemala City.
The country's Institute of Volcanology warned the volcano was "moving towards a more explosive phase," and alerted communities — especially on the western and southern flanks — to the risk of hot volcanic debris flows (pyroclastic and lahars) traveling down the slopes.
Local Disruptions and Precautions
The Education Ministry ordered the suspension of face-to-face classes in communities within two nearby municipalities as a precaution. Traffic police also closed a road that circles the mountain range and links the south coast with Antigua, the country's main tourist destination and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Authorities reported ashfall affecting nearby towns and villages. Conred spokesperson Valeria Urizar reminded residents in a social-media video: "If an evacuation is ordered or conditions pose a risk to your life, follow the principle of self-evacuation."
Context and Past Events
Guatemala sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and regularly experiences seismic and volcanic activity. In recent years Fuego has prompted several large evacuations: more than 500 people were moved to shelters last year after gas and ash emissions, around 1,200 were evacuated after a 2023 eruption, and in 2018 pyroclastic flows killed 215 people and left a similar number missing when a nearby village was devastated.
Authorities continue monitoring the volcano closely and advising residents to heed official warnings, avoid ash exposure, and stay clear of river channels and slopes where hot debris flows could travel.
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