Guatemala’s Fuego volcano increases its activity and forces the first evacuations

The National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology, and Hydrology (Insivumeh) of Guatemala has issued an alert due to the increased activity of the Fuego volcano, located in the south of the country, which has already forced authorities to initiate the first evacuations after entering a more explosive phase.

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Insivumeh has reported that the volcano, the most active in the region, entered a “new eruptive pulse” around 10:35 p.m. on Monday, local time, fourteen and a half hours after the start of volcanic activity.

Authorities have confirmed that the eruptive activity of the volcano has evolved “towards a more explosive phase,” so it is urgently necessary to inform nearby communities, “especially those within a 10-kilometer radius,” to activate response plans.

“The greatest threat is pyroclastic density currents in various ravines of the volcano, so it is recommended to activate the response plans of the municipalities located on the west and south flanks of the volcano,” especially those near Seca and Ceniza, Insivumeh has indicated.

The National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (Conred) has reported that an orange alert, the second highest level, has been declared, while the first nearby communities to the volcano have begun to be evacuated.

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Conred has urged the population to take extreme precautions, avoid dangerous areas, as well as cover water and food supplies to prevent contamination, and to prepare for self-evacuation.

In recent years, Guatemala has had to face similar situations. The country is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a large 40,000-kilometer belt surrounding that ocean, which concentrates 75% of volcanic activity and 90% of earthquakes.

Last year, ash and gases from the volcano caused about 500 people to be evacuated, and in 2023, 1,200 had to leave their homes after it erupted. In 2018, 215 people died and a similar number went missing.

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