A towering column of ash has turned the sky crimson over Guatemala, as the relentless eruption of Volcán de Fuego forces entire communities to abandon their homes on the mountain’s slopes, fearing a repeat of past tragedies.
A night of red skies and panic
Hundreds of people living on the slopes of Guatemala’s Volcán de Fuego have evacuated their homes after a violent eruption sent lava flows and dense ash plumes billowing into the sky. The country’s most active volcano began erupting early on Monday morning, but conditions deteriorated sharply after nightfall, prompting authorities to declare a red alert — the second-highest level of warning.
By Tuesday, streams of incandescent lava were snaking down the 3,763-metre peak, located less than 100 kilometres from the capital, Guatemala City. Ash was thrown six kilometres high, staining the sky a deep, unsettling red.
“We had to flee in the dark”
“The volcano had been active since early morning. That night the alarm was raised, and we had to evacuate,” Alejandro García, a 68-year-old local resident, told Agence France-Presse. He described terrifying scenes of molten rock cascading down the mountainside, noting that villagers left of their own accord, driven by a deep-seated fear of cataclysm.
Firefighters reported transporting at least 350 residents from the villages of El Porvenir and Las Lajitas to the eastern municipality of San Juan Alotenango. Evacuees were housed in a public building fitted with makeshift beds, though the total number of people relocated to other nearby towns remains unknown.
“If there were any chance to move to another house, it would be better, because you are always afraid,” said 40-year-old Lidia Ortiz from inside the shelter. “The volcano gives no warning.”
A familiar cycle of dread
Local officials confirmed that dozens more families, including children, had found refuge in the southern department of Escuintla. In a video posted to social media, Conred spokesperson Valeria Urízar urged the public to act independently if danger became imminent. “If an evacuation order is given, or conditions pose a threat to your life, follow the principle of self-evacuation,” she said.
The National Institute of Volcanology warned of pyroclastic flows — fast-moving currents of hot volcanic debris — sweeping down Fuego’s flanks, placing settlements on the western and southern slopes at the greatest risk. By Tuesday morning, the eruption had continued uninterrupted for 23 hours, though its intensity had begun to subside.
“We are used to the volcano being constantly active, but this time it was really too much,” said 50-year-old resident Sonia Vásquez.
Roads closed, schools shuttered
Guatemalan authorities have urged “precautionary measures for air traffic”, although operations at the capital’s international airport have so far been unaffected. The Ministry of Education ordered the suspension of in-person classes in two municipalities near the volcano. Traffic police also shut a key road skirting the mountain range that connects the southern coast to the colonial city of Antigua, a major tourist hub and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Guatemala sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity. In recent years, Volcán de Fuego has prompted several mass evacuations. Last year, authorities moved more than 500 people after a discharge of gas and ash, whilst another eruption in 2023 forced approximately 1,200 people to flee.
The memory of disaster, however, runs far deeper. In 2018, a catastrophic eruption sent pyroclastic flows ripping through the village of San Miguel Los Lotes, killing 215 people and leaving a similar number missing.
