This Week
in Fire

Two significant eruptive events in one week, on opposite sides of the world. Etna's Voragine crater erupted twice on 30 July — a morning phase from around 3:30 AM local time and a second phase in the afternoon, both producing lava fountains and ash clouds reaching 5 km that prompted VAAC Toulouse to issue advisories. This is Voragine's second paroxysm of 2026, following the dramatic 5 July event that closed Catania airport. The latest INGV VONA at 03:43 UTC on 31 July confirms Strombolian activity has now ceased, with negligible ash still venting and a lava flow persisting at the summit. And on 28 July, Kīlauea delivered Episode 52 — 7.4 hours of lava fountaining through the night under the light of a full moon.

🇮🇹 Etna Orange · Ash Easing

Mount Etna has been in a persistent active phase throughout the summer. Following the end of the Voragine effusive eruption on 7–8 July, INGV's Osservatorio Etneo reported that during 13–19 July, eruptive activity at the summit craters was characterised by gas emissions rising along the fissure between the Voragine Crater and the Northeast Crater, gas emissions from the Southeast Crater, and explosive activity at both the Northeast Crater and the Bocca Nuova Crater. Mild Strombolian activity persisted at Voragine through July.

On 30 July, activity escalated sharply. Intermittent, weak Strombolian activity — which had likely been building through the night — began to increase rapidly at around 3:30 AM local time. Volcanic tremor reached a high-level plateau and sustained for several hours. The distinct Strombolian explosions merged into lava fountains generating a plume rising several kilometres above the summit. VAAC Toulouse issued a volcanic ash advisory, reporting an ash cloud extending to approximately 5 km (16,000 feet) above sea level. Activity then declined rapidly by around 10:30 AM local time. A second paroxysmal phase then began in the afternoon, with ash emissions again rising to considerable altitude.

The latest INGV VONA, issued at 03:43 UTC on 31 July, marks a significant de-escalation. Strombolian activity at the summit craters has now ceased. Negligible ash emission is still ongoing as the system vents residual material, but INGV-OE have classified the ash emission phase as finished. A lava flow remains observable at the summit area. The aviation colour code stands at Orange. INGV-OE continue 24-hour monitoring.

For context, the first Voragine paroxysm of 2026 occurred on 5 July. During that event, ashfall on the south-eastern flank of the volcano forced the temporary closure of Catania-Fontanarossa airport, with dozens of flights cancelled or diverted before normal operations resumed. The fissure eruption from the eastern base of Voragine that began on 26 June and produced a lava flow into Valle del Bove was declared ended on 7–8 July, but the system has clearly remained highly active. Two paroxysms in under four weeks from the same crater is a significant tempo of activity for Voragine.

🇺🇸 Kīlauea Advisory · Yellow

Episode 52 of the Halemaʻumaʻu eruption was a night-time event — and a photogenic one. Precursory spattering began from both vents on the night of 27 July, followed by the first precursory overflows from the north vent at 10:22 AM HST on 28 July. After six precursory overflow events lasting 10 to 30 minutes, continuous overflows from the north vent began at 1:56 PM HST and transitioned directly into sustained fountaining at 7:10 PM HST. Visitors at Uēkahuna overlook in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park watched the north vent fountain grow against the backdrop of a full moon rising over the caldera. Peak fountain height of approximately 500 feet (150 metres) above ground level was reached at around 9:00–9:15 PM HST, when the peak instantaneous effusion rate of approximately 350 cubic yards per second (270 m³/s) was also reached. The south vent did not fountain during Episode 52 but emitted flames in the final minutes of the episode.

The maximum plume height was approximately 19,000 feet (5,800 metres) above sea level per the VAAC. Tephra fall was restricted to the closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park southwest of the vents. Episode 52 ended abruptly at 2:36 AM HST on 29 July after 7.4 hours of continuous fountaining. Average effusion rate across the episode was 250 cubic yards per second (190 m³/s). An estimated 6.1 million cubic yards (4.7 million cubic metres) of lava was erupted, covering 40–50% of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor. HVO lowered the alert level back to Advisory/Yellow. Summit inflation resumed immediately after the episode ended, and both vents continue to glow. HVO confirms another episode is likely but more data are needed to issue a forecast window for Episode 53.

🇷🇪 Piton de la Fournaise Vigilance · 7 weeks

Piton de la Fournaise remains in its extended pre-eruptive build-up — now approximately seven weeks since dual-source GNSS inflation was first confirmed on 15 June. Both summit and far-field GNSS stations continue to record inflation, elevated CO₂ flux at the PCRN and GITN stations has been maintained, and no eruption has begun. This is unambiguously the longest pre-eruptive signal of the entire 2026 eruption cycle, and it remains genuinely puzzling from a volcanological perspective — the signals are present, persistent, and consistent with an eruption being imminent, yet the eruption has not initiated. OVPF are monitoring 24 hours a day. The alert level remains at Vigilance.

🇵🇭 Mayon Alert 3 · 196+ days

Mayon's eruption continues into its 196th consecutive day. Alert Level 3 remains in force. Following the SO₂ peak of 13,128 tonnes per day on 11 July — the highest in 26 years — VAAC Tokyo continued to issue eruption advisories for Mayon on 15, 17, and 18 July, noting eruption activity without detectable ash in satellite data. As of the most recent available PHIVOLCS bulletins, lava flows remain at 3.8 km (Basud), 3.2 km (Bonga), and 2.1 km (Mi-isi). PHIVOLCS have not raised the Alert Level to 4 but continue to warn that the elevated SO₂ levels seen in early July could signal a transition to explosive eruptive activity. The 6 km Permanent Danger Zone remains in force.