This Week
in Fire

This week ends with three significant eruption events across three different parts of the world. Dukono on Halmahera — a volcano we first flagged as a watchlist concern in early April — erupted this morning with a 10km ash column, killing three hikers who were in a zone that had been officially closed since 17 April. Earlier in the week Kīlauea delivered Episode 46 with tephra on Highway 11. And Mayon's 2 May pyroclastic density current sequence was the most significant of its now 120-day eruption.

🇮🇩 Dukono Alert 3 · Eruption

Mount Dukono on Indonesia's Halmahera island erupted at 07:41 local time this morning (22:41 GMT Thursday), producing a volcanic ash column approximately 10 km high and generating booming sounds across the surrounding area. PVMBG head Lana Saria confirmed the eruption in an official statement, warning that ash was tracking northward and that residents of Tobelo City and nearby settlements should be prepared for ashfall. PVMBG also flagged the risk of volcanic mudflows in the event of rainfall. Alert Level 3 — the third highest on Indonesia's four-tier scale — is maintained.

A group of 20 hikers was on the mountain at the time. Three have been confirmed dead — two foreign nationals and one Indonesian from Ternate island. Indonesian rescue agency head Iwan Ramdani confirmed that all 20 members of the group are now accounted for. The majority have been evacuated safely from the mountain; two remained to assist search teams in locating the bodies of those killed. Nine of the group were Singaporean nationals. North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu confirmed the group had ignored warning signs at the trailhead and social media appeals urging people to stay away, and was explicit that local residents understood the closure and complied — it was foreign tourists, in his description, who went up regardless.

This is a volcano Volcoholics has been tracking since late March 2026. On 30 March, PVMBG recorded 199 explosive events in a single day — a significant departure from background activity. By 3 April, dense ash plumes were reaching 4 km above the crater, and we added Dukono to the watchlist in that week's roundup. Activity continued to escalate through April, with daily ash plumes of 400–2,000 m. On 17 April PVMBG raised the alert to Level 3 and formally closed the mountain. Today's eruption — a 10km column — is a further step beyond anything seen in the weeks prior. We have a full dedicated report on the Dukono eruption here.

🇺🇸 Kīlauea Advisory · Yellow

Episode 46 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption began at 8:17 AM HST on 5 May, preceded by approximately 19 hours of precursory lava overflows from both vents that had begun on the afternoon of 4 May. Sustained fountaining was confined to the north vent throughout — the south vent produced periodic gas jetting and flames but did not fountain. Peak fountains of 200 metres were reached at around 10:35 AM HST, when the volcanic plume also peaked at approximately 20,000 feet above sea level per the National Weather Service.

Wind conditions shifted during the episode. Early in the episode, southeast winds directed tephra northwest — fist-sized clasts were reported at Uēkahuna overlook and between mile markers 31 and 32 on Highway 11. As the episode progressed winds moved to north-northwest, sending fine ash and Pele's hair northeast as far as Mountain View, approximately 30 km from the vents. Tephra clasts as large as 15 cm were observed on Highway 11. The National Weather Service issued an ashfall advisory for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and areas north and northeast. Episode 46 ended abruptly at 5:22 PM HST after nine hours. HVO lowered the alert to Advisory/Yellow within ten minutes. The 6 May daily update noted rapid return of inflationary tilt, indicating another episode remains likely — no forecast window for Episode 47 has yet been issued.

🇵🇭 Mayon Alert 3 · 120+ days

On the evening of 2 May, Mayon produced its most significant pyroclastic density current event of the entire 2026 eruption. Per the GVP/Smithsonian WVAR for the week ending 6 May (sourced from PHIVOLCS), two successive PDC sequences descended the Mi-isi gully on the volcano's south-southwestern slopes. The first began at 4:28 PM and lasted 39 minutes; the second, more intense sequence began at 5:09 PM and lasted 95 minutes, producing at least 22 PDC events with run-outs reaching 4 km from the crater. Dense ash clouds drifted southwest, producing thick ashfall across Camalig, Guinobatan, and parts of Ligao City. Classes in Guinobatan were suspended on 3 May.

PHIVOLCS confirmed the PDCs were lava flow-collapse driven — not phreatomagmatic — caused by the newest lava in Mi-isi gully collapsing rather than advancing. Quick Response Teams were deployed to quantify deposits and monitor lahar risk. A further PDC along Mi-isi at 7:19 AM on 5 May produced no significant ashfall. The eruption has now been running for more than 120 consecutive days with Alert Level 3 and a 6 km permanent danger zone in force.

🇨🇷 Poás Alert 2 · Active

Poás continues its persistent eruptive activity into early May. Per the GVP/Smithsonian WVAR for the week ending 6 May (sourced from OVSICORI-UNA), eruptions were recorded during 29 April–6 May, with gas emissions across Laguna Caliente and from the new fumarolic field exposed by the 10 April crater wall collapse, along with plumes reported through 5–6 May. Background tremor continues to show the spectral shift toward lower frequencies established around 19 April, consistent with fluid movement-dominated dynamics at depth. The system has not returned to the state observed before the 10 April collapse. Alert Level 2 — Warning — maintained, aviation Yellow.