Lava fountains up to 1,000 feet high from Kilauea volcano prompted temporary closures at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and a partial closure of Highway 11 on Tuesday, officials said. The eruption, now in its 43rd episode since December 2024, sent bright-red lava and smoke into the air but remained confined to the summit crater, posing no threat to homes or buildings.
The fountaining episode marked the latest activity in an on-and-off eruption that has captivated residents and visitors for more than a year. A livestream showed two fountains of lava and smoke within the crater. The duration of the event was unclear; previous episodes have lasted from a few hours to several days.
The volcanic fragments and ash, known as tephra, forced the park to close areas around the summit and led to a partial shutdown of Highway 11, a key route around the island. Hawaii County officials opened a shelter at a district gymnasium for those affected by the road closure or falling tephra, though no one used the shelter immediately after it opened, according to county spokesperson Tom Callis.
The National Weather Service issued an ashfall warning, noting that tephra can irritate eyes, skin, and the respiratory system. It also can clog water catchment systems, which are common on some parts of the Big Island. During a previous fountaining episode, ash fell so heavily that communities required assistance from civil defense workers to clean up.
Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Its current eruption has been characterized by periodic lava fountains that remain within the summit crater, minimizing risk to populated areas while occasionally disrupting infrastructure and air quality.