- 2018 eruption killed 194 and left 234 missing.
- 2023 eruption uprooted roughly 1,200 residents.
- Last year’s eruption forced more than 500 people into shelters and shut down schools.
- On Monday, the Fuego volcano erupted, sending gas, ash, lava and pyroclastic flows down its slopes.
- On Tuesday, continued emissions of mud and ash; evacuations and red alerts in three municipalities.
- Mudflows up to 7km long continue descending from the volcano, with incoming rain expected to increase the risk of additional volcanic mudflows.
- Roughly 1,700 people are still in shelters, and officials say the next 72 hours will be critical.
- Conred raised the red alert in three municipalities, Sacatepéquez, Escuintla and Chimaltenango, affecting about 29,000 people.
- Conred’s executive director, Claudinne Ogaldes, advised residents in the three red-alert municipalities to cover water deposits and use face masks as protection from ash.
- A major highway that passes close to the volcano, National Route 14, was closed.
- The education ministry suspended classes in nearby towns.
Conred raised the alert to red in Sacatepequez, Escuintla and Chimaltenango, where about 29,000 people are affected by ashfall, and Roughly 1,700 people are still in shelters, according to officials. The next 72 hours will be critical as evacuations continue and authorities monitor showers of ash and mud.578
Mudflows up to 7 km (4.3 miles) long continue descending from the volcano, with incoming rain expected to increase the risk of additional volcanic mudflows. Authorities closed a major highway near the eruption and schools were disrupted as the Education Ministry suspended classes in nearby towns.11
Guatemalan officials noted the country lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a pattern that produces frequent seismic and volcanic activity, and Fuego has repeatedly triggered mass evacuations in recent years. In context, A 2023 eruption uprooted roughly 1,200 residents, while the deadliest event came in 2018, when an eruption buried the villages of San Miguel Los Lotes and El Rodeo under hot ash, leaving 194 confirmed dead and 234 missing and presumed dead.2
The government said the situation remains fragile, with red-alert communities watching for rain-driven mudflows and officials warning that conditions could shift quickly as rescue teams coordinate shelter operations and assess infrastructure.
The episode underscores the persistent danger posed by Fuego and the ongoing need for protective measures in adjacent towns and routes, even amid continued relief efforts and international attention.
“Conred raised the alert to red in Sacatepequez, Escuintla, and Chimaltenango, affecting about 29,000 people from ashfall. Mudflows up to 7km long continue descending, and officials say the next 72 hours will be critical, with incoming rain expected to increase the risk of additional volcanic mudflows.”
AP News
