Key facts
- Guatemalan authorities ordered preventive evacuations for two communities near the Fuego volcano.
- The volcano entered a more intense eruptive phase, spewing ash and sending pyroclastic flows.
- An orange alert was declared, and monitoring was increased.
- Ash clouds could affect areas up to 100 km west and northwest of the volcano.
- A major eruption in 2018 killed more than 200 people.
Guatemalan authorities ordered the preventive evacuation of two communities, El Porvenir and Las Lajitas, near the Fuego volcano late on Monday as it entered a more intense eruptive phase. The eruption sent pyroclastic flows, described as fast-moving mixtures of volcanic gas, ash, and rock, down five ravines. Officials warned that these flows could travel further if volcanic activity intensifies. Ash clouds have dispersed up to 100 km (62 miles) west and northwest of the volcano, potentially disrupting air traffic. Authorities declared an orange alert, the second-highest level, and increased monitoring of the volcano. A previous major eruption in June 2018 killed more than 200 people and buried an entire community. The Fuego volcano is one of the most active in Guatemala and Central America, located approximately 40 kilometers southwest of Guatemala City.