Authorities in Guatemala ordered evacuations from southern communities surrounding the Fuego volcano following an eruption that began on Monday morning. The activity intensified throughout the day, leading officials to initiate precautionary measures for residents in the affected areas.
According to Claudinne Ogaldes, executive secretary of CONRED, Guatemala’s disaster management agency, the eruption prompted the evacuation of El Porvenir and the hamlet of Las Lajitas, affecting approximately 50 families or around 250 people total. Officials declared an orange alert in response to the volcanic activity. The Guatemalan Seismology, Vulcanology, Weather and Water Institute reported that the eruption had escalated in explosiveness, with lava fountains reaching between 200 and 300 meters in height above the crater. Live footage captured substantial clouds of gas and ash rising from the volcano, along with lava and pyroclastic flows descending the slopes at high velocity.
Authorities also implemented broader protective measures beyond direct evacuations. The Education Ministry suspended classes in towns near the volcano, and National Route 14, a major highway passing close to the volcano, was closed to traffic. Officials warned of ash dispersal to neighboring communities as a result of the ongoing volcanic activity.
The Fuego volcano ranks among Guatemala’s most active volcanoes. Historical context underscores the potential severity of such events: a previous eruption in June 2018 resulted in hundreds of deaths and destroyed an entire village, with impacts affecting up to 1.7 million people according to authorities. Additionally, another eruption occurred in June last year, which similarly prompted preventive evacuations from nearby areas.
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