Kilauea spews lava during 52nd eruptive episode on July 28, 2026.
HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii — Hawaii‘s Kilauea volcano erupted Tuesday night after a brief nap, sending lava hundreds of feet into the sky.
The eruption began shortly before 7:30 p.m. local time, according to USGS. Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes and this is its 52nd eruptive episode since December 23, 2024.
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Lava fountains have reached a peak of 500 feet in this latest episode.
Volcano officials said this eruption, like all recent eruptions, is expected to be confined to the Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
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Volcanic gas that’s released during eruptions can impact people downwind, particularly those with respiratory issues or other sensitive populations.
Kilauea’s 51st eruption ended on July 15, after spewing lava for more than 8 hours, according to USGS.
This period of frequent activity at Kiluea is being driven by magma chambers that are quickly refilling within the volcano. These short eruptions have not been strong enough to dramatically change the pressure in these chambers, which have reached something of an equilibrium.
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“Since the ongoing eruption began in December of 2024, there has been little overall change in the amount of pressurization of the magma chambers beneath Kīlauea summit,” the USGS said in a FAQ report on Kilauea.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
