Guatemala raises orange alert after Fuego volcano erupts and evacuates nearby villages
Guatemalan authorities have raised the country's second-highest emergency alert level after Fuego volcano erupted on Monday evening. The eruption prompted evacuations in two villages near the volcano, which lies about 35 kilometres from Guatemala City. Officials also closed a road linking the south of the country to Antigua and suspended local school activities.
Sponsored
The disaster coordination agency Conred said on social media that an orange danger alert had been declared nationwide because of the eruption. The agency said it had begun evacuating residents from communities close to the volcano. The alert level indicates a serious but not yet maximum emergency response, with authorities moving quickly to reduce risk to people living nearby.
Fuego is Central America's most active volcano and one of Guatemala's most closely watched natural hazards. The country sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a zone of frequent seismic and volcanic activity that has made eruptions and earthquakes a recurring threat. In recent years, Fuego has repeatedly forced emergency evacuations, including more than 500 people last year after gas and ash were released, and around 1,200 people in 2023.
The volcano's history gives the current eruption added significance for emergency planners and local communities. In 2018, lava flows from Fuego killed 215 people and left a similar number missing after they devastated a village on its slopes. That disaster remains one of the deadliest volcanic events in Guatemala's recent history and continues to shape how authorities respond when activity increases.
Sponsored
The latest measures also affect transport and daily life beyond the immediate evacuation zone. Closing the road to Antigua, a colonial city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, shows how volcanic activity can disrupt movement in a wider area around the capital region. Suspending school activities suggests officials are trying to limit exposure while monitoring the eruption's development.
What remains unclear is how long the orange alert will stay in place and whether the eruption will intensify or ease. Authorities have not yet given a full assessment of the scale of ash, gas or lava emissions, and further updates are expected as monitoring continues. The situation is still developing, with emergency teams focused on the safety of residents near the volcano.
Sponsored
