This Week
in Fire

Etna dominated this week. Three paroxysms from the Voragine crater in five weeks — 5 July, 30 July, and 6–7 August — is a pattern that volcanologists will be watching closely. The 6–7 August event was the most impactful of the series: INGV raised the aviation code to RED, Catania-Fontanarossa airport suspended incoming flights, a new lateral fracture opened near Valle del Bove, and ashfall settled on communities at Ragalna and Adrano. The sequence is beginning to resemble the 2024 Voragine episode series, which produced six paroxysms between July and August of that year.

🇮🇹 Etna Paroxysm Sequence · Voragine

To recap this week's full picture: the second paroxysm of 2026 from Voragine on 30 July produced two eruptive phases. The morning phase began at approximately 03:30 UTC, rapidly intensifying to lava fountaining with an ash cloud rising to approximately 7 km above sea level before declining at around 08:30 UTC. The afternoon phase began at 16:50 UTC, maintaining a sustained level until 23:40 UTC before ceasing abruptly at 00:00 UTC on 31 July. Importantly, a new effusive vent opened at 20:49 local time in the upper Valle del Leone at an altitude of approximately 2,700 m, feeding a lava flow that was still active as the paroxysm ended. During 27 July–2 August, INGV-OE's weekly summary also reported sporadic explosive activity and ash emissions at the Northeast Crater and Bocca Nuova, and gas emissions at the Southeast Crater — confirming that several of Etna's summit craters are simultaneously active.

The third paroxysm began on the evening of 6 August at approximately 21:00 local time (19:00 UTC), when volcanic tremor rose rapidly to high amplitude. Lava fountaining from the Voragine crater — at vents between 2,900 and 3,000 metres elevation — continued through the night, peaking in intensity at around 23:30 local time (21:30 UTC). Infrasonic activity was high in both number and energy until approximately 01:00 local time on 7 August. The eruptive cloud drifted southeast. INGV raised the aviation colour code to RED — the highest tier. Catania-Fontanarossa airport suspended incoming flights during the morning of 7 August, with flights diverted and extra train services arranged for affected passengers. Ashfall was confirmed at Ragalna and Adrano.

On the morning of 7 August, a new lateral fracture opened on the flank of the volcano between Valle del Leone and Valle del Bove — the second time this has occurred in less than a month, echoing the flank eruption that began on 26 June. A new eruptive vent also opened in Valle del Bove. INGV confirmed that strong Strombolian activity was still continuing at Voragine at 10:38 local time on 7 August, after the main overnight fountaining phase had progressively weakened. A VAAC Toulouse advisory was issued noting ash clouds at 10,000 feet (3,000 m) above sea level at 08:00 UTC on 8 August. INGV-OE are monitoring continuously and have not indicated when further paroxysms might occur, but the pattern of the season is clear.

🇺🇸 Kīlauea Advisory · Yellow

Kīlauea Episode 53 opens its forecast window today, 8 August. The inter-episode period since Episode 52 ended at 2:36 AM HST on 29 July has been interrupted by two deflationary steps. The first occurred overnight on 1–2 August and lasted just over a day before inflation returned on the morning of 4 August. A second deflationary step began at 6:00 AM HST on 7 August. The most recent HVO notice, from 7 August at 01:38 UTC, places the Episode 53 forecast window at 8–12 August, with the caveat that if the current deflationary trend continues for a prolonged period the window may shift later. North vent glow has strengthened to moderate-to-strong overnight. The south vent has been largely dark through this inter-episode period, with occasional weak glow and one period of flames. Notably, a crack system that opened upslope of the south vent on 30 July continues to produce large periodic flames from gas piston activity — a feature HVO have been monitoring since it first appeared.

🇷🇪 Piton de la Fournaise Vigilance · 7+ weeks

Piton de la Fournaise remains in its extended pre-eruptive build-up — now more than seven weeks since dual-source GNSS inflation was confirmed, making this unambiguously the longest pre-eruptive signal of the entire 2026 eruption cycle. Both summit and far-field GNSS stations continue to record inflation, elevated CO₂ flux has been maintained throughout, and no eruption has begun. OVPF continue to monitor around the clock. The alert level remains at Vigilance.

🇵🇭 Mayon Alert 3 · 215+ days

Mayon's effusive eruption has now run for more than 215 consecutive days — over seven months of continuous activity. Alert Level 3 remains in force. The 13,128 t/day SO₂ peak on 11 July remains the headline figure of the eruption's most recent escalation phase; VAAC Tokyo continued to issue advisories through 18 July. Lava flow lengths stand at 3.8 km (Basud), 3.2 km (Bonga), and 2.1 km (Mi-isi). PHIVOLCS have not raised the alert level beyond 3 but continue to note that elevated SO₂ could indicate a potential shift to explosive activity. The 6 km Permanent Danger Zone remains enforced and the community impact remains significant — 293,974 people affected, 4,113 displaced, across 159 barangays in Region V.