Guatemala Issues ‘Danger’ Alert After Fuego Volcano Erupts

Guatemalan authorities have issued the nation's second-highest emergency alert level following a major eruption of the Fuego volcano, a highly active stratovolcano in Central America. The alert, an "orange (danger)" declaration, was made Monday after the volcano intensified its activity, sending lava flows and massive ash plumes approximately six kilometers (four miles) into the sky.

Disaster coordination agency Conred stated that the alert level is one notch below the maximum "red" alert, signifying a serious emergency. Officials initiated evacuations in two villages situated near the volcano, which lies about 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the capital, Guatemala City. Video footage captured the dramatic eruption, with lava cascading down the slopes of the 3,763-meter-high volcano and the sky illuminated by red clouds.

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An orange (danger) alert has been declared nationwide due to the eruption of the Fuego volcano.

Valeria Urizar, a spokesperson for Conred, urged residents in a social media video to "follow the principle of self-evacuation" if ordered or if conditions pose a threat. The country's Institute of Volcanology warned that Fuego might be entering a "more explosive phase," with specific risks of hot volcanic debris flows threatening communities on the western and southern flanks. As a precautionary measure, the education ministry suspended face-to-face classes in nearby communities, and traffic police closed a key road connecting the south coast with the popular tourist destination of Antigua.

This eruption is the latest in a series of significant events from Fuego. In 2023, over 1,200 people were evacuated following an eruption. The most devastating incident occurred in 2018, when Fuego's lava flows killed 215 people and left a similar number missing, obliterating a nearby village. Guatemala's location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" makes it particularly susceptible to frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

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If an evacuation is ordered or conditions pose a risk to your life, follow the principle of self-evacuation.