On Tuesday, August 4th, 2026, Guatemala's disaster management agency CONRED issued evacuation notices for several towns near the highly active Volcan de Fuego. The volcano, located approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Guatemala City, erupted, spewing columns of lava, gas, and ash up to four kilometers (2.5 miles) into the sky.
CONRED raised an orange warning, its second-highest level, urging residents to move to emergency shelters outside the volcano's path. Schools in the area have been closed, and some businesses temporarily shuttered. Ash clouds have traveled as far as 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of the volcano, potentially disrupting air traffic.
Guatemala's Institute of Seismology and Volcanology emphasized that Volcan de Fuego is experiencing its "most intense phase," advising extreme caution within a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) radius.
Despite safety bans, local media reported that onlookers continued to climb the nearby Acatenango volcano to record videos of the eruption for social media. Volcan de Fuego, nearly 3,800 meters (12,500 feet) tall and part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, is among Central America's most active volcanoes. A violent eruption in 2018 resulted in approximately 200 fatalities.
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