• Lava fountains reach up to 400 meters, prompting temporary road closures

• Intermittent eruptions ongoing for over a year continue to awe locals and visitors

On Tuesday, Hawaii’s Kīlauea volcano on the Big Island sent fountains of molten lava soaring about 400 meters into the air, prompting authorities to temporarily close parts of the national park and a major highway due to falling volcanic debris and ash.

Kīlauea has been dazzling residents and tourists for over a year with intermittent eruptions that periodically send lava jets skyward.

Tuesday’s activity marked the 43rd eruption since the volcano became active in December 2024. Live streams showed two glowing red lava fountains accompanied by smoke, though the duration of this episode remains unclear; past eruptions have lasted from a few hours to several days.

As in previous events, the lava remained confined within the volcano’s summit crater inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and posed no threat to homes or buildings.

However, the lava fountains created hazards for nearby communities and the highway, as volcanic debris and ash, known as tephra, fell. This led to temporary closures of the park near the summit and a partial shutdown of Highway 11, a key route around the island.

Local authorities also opened a shelter in a gymnasium for residents and tourists affected by the closures or falling tephra, although no one had used it shortly after opening, according to county spokesperson Tom Callis.

The U.S. National Weather Service issued an ashfall warning.