16 hours and counting: Guatemala on nationwide alert after Volcano Fuego erupts

Guatemala's disaster agency Conred declared an orange alert nationwide and started evacuating two villages after Volcano Fuego erupted on August 3, 2026.

INSIVUMEH reported increased eruptive activity with a 200-300 meter lava fountain and warned the eruption could become more explosive, with an ash column possibly exceeding 7,000 meters.

The government suspended school activities and closed a road linking the south to Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, due to the eruption.

INSIVUMEH advised communities within a 10-kilometer radius of the volcano to evacuate immediately, citing threats from pyroclastic density currents, especially near the Seca and Ceniza ravines.