Kilauea Eruption Triggers Park and Highway Closures

Lava fountains shooting more than 1,000 feet into the air from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano prompted temporary closures of parts of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and a key highway on Tuesday, as ash and volcanic fragments fell on nearby communities.

The eruption, Episode 43 of an ongoing summit event, began around 9:17 a.m. local time at the Halemaʻumaʻu crater within the national park on the Big Island. According to the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, initial activity started at a north vent, followed shortly by a south vent, with fountains from both reaching heights exceeding 1,300 feet by afternoon. A livestream captured bright red lava and plumes of smoke rising from the site, while the observatory reported an eruption plume extending up to 30,000 feet above sea level. Winds pushed ash and gas northward, affecting visibility and air quality downwind.

The U.S. Geological Survey elevated the volcano alert level to Warning and the aviation color code to Red, signaling significant hazards from ash emissions that could impact public safety and flights. No structures or homes faced direct threats, as the molten rock remained confined to the crater floor,...