Kilauea 44th Eruptive Episode Ends After 9-Hour Lava Fountaining

The 44th eruptive episode at the summit of Kīlauea volcano in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park concluded abruptly Thursday evening after nearly nine hours of intense lava fountaining, producing fountains up to 800 feet high and prompting temporary closures due to hazardous volcanic fallout.

The episode began at 11:10 a.m. within the Halemaʻumaʻu crater in the volcano's summit caldera on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. According to the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, lava erupted primarily from the north vent, with the south vent showing only periodic gas jetting and flames rather than fountains. The event generated approximately 7.5 million cubic yards of lava, covering about half of the crater floor, though scientists noted it was smaller in scale than the previous three episodes. Steady southerly winds carried tephra—volcanic fragments including ash and larger chunks up to softball size—north-northeastward, with the heaviest fallout near Kīlauea Military Camp and the Volcano Golf Course subdivision. Lighter ash and Pele's hair, thin strands of volcanic glass, were reported as far as Kaumana, west of Hilo.

Park rangers evacuated the summit area around noon...