Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Erupts, Triggering Highway and National Park Closures

Fountains of lava erupting from a volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island triggered the temporary closure of a national park and an important highway on Tuesday.

The fountains of lava from the Kilauea volcano reached as high as 1,000 feet, impacting the nearby highway with falling glassy volcanic fragments, including ash according to CBS.

The volcano has been experiencing eruptions for at least a year, some of them sending fountains of lava high into the air. The latest eruption began Tuesday morning. It was the 43rd eruption since December 2024.

A livestream of the volcano on Youtube shows two fountains of red lava and smoke. 

CBS is reporting that it ’s not known how long the fountaining will last. In some cases, the fountains last a few days, though they have also been as short as a few hours. The National Weather Service has issued an ashfall warning.

In addition, the volcanic activity has resulted temporary closure of the national park around the summit. Highway 11 on either side of the park has also been partially closed. Residents and tourists are also being offered shelter at a local gymnasium.

This type of volcanic activity is known to irritate eyes, skin and the respiratory system. The 'tephra' from volcanos also clogs water catchment collection systems.

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