Guatemala ordered people to leave the area around the Fuego volcano on 4 August 2026 after the volcano started erupting again. Lava poured from its top, and dangerous clouds of hot gas, ash, and rock — called pyroclastic flows — rushed down its side AP News. At least two nearby villages have been emptied of residents BBC News. Guatemala's emergency agency, Conred, issued a nationwide orange alert, which is the second-highest warning level the country can give BBC News.

The eruption began on Monday, with Fuego sending out lava and ash. The hot gas-and-rock clouds kept flowing down the volcano's south-eastern side into early Tuesday BBC News. Lava could be seen coming from the crater on 4 August, viewed from the town of San Juan Alotenango AP News. Conred warned that more of these flows and large ash clouds could form, and told people to keep their windows and doors shut BBC News.

Conred also warned people not to cross or stay in dry riverbeds near the volcano. When rain mixes with volcanic ash and rock, it creates a fast-moving river of mud called a lahar. Think of it as a heavy, wet concrete surging down a valley — it can bury everything in its path. Conred shared this warning in a bulletin on 3 August 2026 Conred. Guatemala's volcano science agency, INSIVUMEH, confirmed that lahar season at Fuego was already underway back in April 2026 INSIVUMEH.

Fuego is one of the most active volcanoes in the Americas. It sits just 16 kilometers west of Antigua, a famous colonial city and popular tourist destination BBC News. Conred told both visitors and locals to stay away from risky areas, especially the volcano's slopes BBC News. Schools near the volcano cancelled classes because of the eruption BBC News.

Fuego has actually been erupting on and off for months. Back in February 2026, INSIVUMEH reported 5 to 15 explosive bursts per hour at the volcano INSIVUMEH. Conred reported up to 12 explosions per hour on the same date Conred. By April, Conred said there were up to 11 explosions per hour, sending columns of gas and ash 4,800 meters into the sky Conred. The agency also noted that the volcano produces regular small explosions at night and in the early morning, creating ash columns of 4,200 to 4,500 meters Conred.

INSIVUMEH has been monitoring Fuego constantly during this eruptive period, working together with Conred's ongoing watch INSIVUMEH. On 20 July 2026, INSIVUMEH reported that the volcano was still sending ash into the air. Conred's latest bulletin, No. 235-2026, confirms that Fuego continues to be active and releasing ash Conred. Conred has also reported that Fuego and two other Guatemalan volcanoes — Pacaya and Santiaguito — are all within their normal range of activity, with Fuego producing 7 to 13 explosions per hour and ash columns reaching about 4,000 meters Conred.

The reason this eruption is being taken so seriously goes back to 2018. More than 200 people died when Fuego erupted that year, many of them caught in the same kind of fast-moving hot gas-and-rock flows in a ravine called Las Lajas BBC News. An INSIVUMEH bulletin documented that a Fuego eruption in March of this year also produced these flows, showing that the danger is always present during the current eruptive cycle INSIVUMEH.

INSIVUMEH and Conred work together in a system designed to give early warnings and keep people informed while the volcano stays active. By issuing the orange alert, Guatemala's emergency system moved to its second-highest level of readiness, freeing up resources for evacuations and public safety as the eruption continues.

What matters most now is whether people in harm's way get out in time. The 2018 tragedy showed how fast these hot flows can move — faster than a person can run. With Fuego erupting this intensely again, the decisions made by residents to heed evacuation orders, and the speed of the government's response, will shape how this episode compares to that deadly event. Fuego's habit of frequent smaller explosions that sometimes build into larger eruptions means that living nearby requires constant readiness, not just one-time action.