Authorities in Guatemala have ordered evacuations in southern communities after the Fuego volcano began erupting Monday morning. The activity intensified throughout the day, sending lava and plumes of ash nearly four miles into the sky. According to the Guatemalan Seismology, Vulcanology, Weather and Water Institute, a lava fountain between 200 and 300 meters developed over the crater, while pyroclastic flows rolled down the slopes at great speed.
The disaster managing agency, CONRED, declared an orange alert, the country's second-most severe warning level, as ash spread to nearby towns. Preventive evacuations were ordered for approximately 50 families, or 250 people, in El Porvenir and the hamlet of Las Lajitas. In response to the eruption, the Education Ministry suspended classes in nearby towns, and National Route 14, a major highway passing close to the volcano, was closed.
Residents have been urged to seek shelter as the volcano entered a more intense eruptive phase. Additionally, officials warned onlookers to stop climbing a nearby volcano to take videos of the eruption.
Located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, Guatemala experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity, and Fuego is one of the most active volcanoes in the region. It has erupted repeatedly in recent years, including an event in June last year. A previous eruption in June 2018 destroyed an entire village and killed hundreds of people, affecting up to 1.7 million people.