Disasters & Incidents
Fuego volcano eruption triggers Guatemala danger alert
Guatemalan authorities declared a nationwide orange danger alert on Monday after a major eruption of the Fuego volcano and began evacuating two nearby villages.
The disaster coordination agency Conred said the alert was issued because of the eruption. The orange alert is Guatemala's second-highest emergency level.
Fuego, described as Central America's most active volcano, is about 35 kilometers, or 22 miles, from Guatemala City. The government suspended local school activities and closed a road linking southern Guatemala to Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Authorities have ordered several mass evacuations in recent years because of Fuego eruptions. Last year, more than 500 people were evacuated after the volcano spewed gas and ash. Another eruption in 2023 led to the evacuation of about 1,200 people.
In 2018, 215 people were killed and a similar number were left missing when lava flows devastated a village on the volcano's slopes.
Update
The Guatemalan government suspended local school activities after the eruption.
Authorities closed a road linking southern Guatemala to Antigua.
The source adds recent evacuation history and the 2018 Fuego death and missing figures.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 August 2026 at 05:05:36 UTC.
Update
Guatemala's disaster coordination agency Conred said an orange danger alert was declared nationwide.
The orange alert is one level below the highest emergency alert level.
Conred said it had begun evacuating two villages near the volcano.
Fuego is located 35 kilometers, or 22 miles, from Guatemala City.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 August 2026 at 04:59:58 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
No casualty figure from the latest eruption was supplied.
The number of people evacuated in the current operation was not supplied.
Source
AFP news report published on .