In brief
The Fuego volcano erupted Monday, spewing lava and ash and igniting widespread alarm. Local authorities issued a nationwide orange alert, urging residents to stay indoors and cancel school sessions. Evacuations are underway for villages on the volcano’s slopes, and ongoing pyroclastic currents are expected to contaminate air and waters. This activity follows a deadly 2018 eruption that killed more than 200 people.
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, began spewing lava and ash on Monday.
Pyroclastic currents—rivers of gas, volcanic ash and rock fragments—continued to flow down Fuego’s southeastern slope early on Tuesday, the national monitoring agency reported.
Disaster management agency CONRED issued a nationwide orange alert, the second‑highest threat level, warning residents that further pyroclastic flows and ash clouds could form.
CONRED urged people to keep windows and doors closed and withdrew schools near the volcano from classes.
Fuego lies just 16 km (10 miles) west of the popular tourist city of Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its colonial architecture.
The volcano has also attracted hikers, but local officials warned that anyone nearby should keep a safe distance—and avoid descending its slopes during activity.
In 2018, a violent Fuego eruption killed more than 200 people when rapid pyroclastic flows surged down the Las Lajas ravine.
