GUATEMALA — The Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupted on Monday, August 4, 2026, prompting authorities to declare a nationwide orange alert and order evacuations. The eruption disrupted transportation and daily life in communities surrounding the 3,763-meter (12,346-foot) peak.

Guatemala's disaster agency CONRED declared a nationwide orange alert, the second-highest emergency level, in response to the intensifying activity. Authorities ordered the evacuation of two villages, El Porvenir and Las Lajitas, affecting approximately 50 families or 250 people. National Route 14, a major highway near the volcano, was closed to ensure public safety. The Education Ministry suspended classes in towns near the volcano as ash fell across the region.

The Guatemalan Seismology, Vulcanology, Weather and Water Institute reported that a lava fountain between 200 and 300 meters (650 to 1,000 feet) high developed over the crater. Ash plumes from the eruption reached approximately six kilometers (four miles) into the air. Pyroclastic flows continued down the south-eastern slope of the volcano early on Tuesday, August 5, 2026. CONRED warned residents to keep windows and doors closed and to avoid areas at risk, particularly on the volcano's slopes.

"If an evacuation is ordered or conditions pose a risk to your life, follow the principle of self-evacuation," Valeria Urizar, CONRED spokesperson, said in a post on social media. The Institute of Volcanology stated that the volcano is "moving towards a more explosive phase." Claudinne Ogaldes, executive secretary of the Guatemalan disaster managing agency, CONRED, said the eruption began on August 3, 2026, and continued throughout the day, leading to the evacuation of villages on the southern side of the mountain,

Fuego volcano is located approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Guatemala City, the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala. The volcano is also located 16 kilometers (10 miles) west of Antigua. Guatemala is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a zone of frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

Researchers have studied the volcano extensively, including a 2001 study titled Volcano hazards at Fuego and Acatenango, Guatemala published in Antarctica A Keystone in a Changing World. Other research includes VOLCANO MONITORING FROM SPACE USING HIGH-CADENCE PLANET CUBESATS: APPLICATION TO FUEGO VOLCANO, GUATEMALA and Information use and decision-making for evacuation at Fuego volcano, Guatemala.

The current eruption recalls the deadly 2018 event that killed 215 people and left a similar number missing. That eruption buried the villages of San Miguel Los Lotes and El Rodeo and affected up to 1.7 million people. Another account states the 2018 eruption killed more than 200 people.

More recent activity includes a 2023 eruption that displaced around 1,200 people and a 2025 eruption that led to the evacuation of more than 500 people. The number of evacuees in 2025 represents a 58.3% fall from the 1,200 people displaced in 2023. The distance from Antigua to the volcano, 16 kilometers, is 40% of the 40-kilometer distance from Guatemala City.

Why It Matters

The declaration of a nationwide orange alert and the warning that Fuego is moving toward a more explosive phase signal an escalation beyond recent 2023 and 2025 events. With pyroclastic flows continuing and major transport routes closed, daily life and safety are disrupted for communities near Guatemala City and Antigua. This activity recalls the deadly 2018 eruption that killed over 200 people, showing the persistent risk to populations living on the Pacific Ring of Fire.