Kilauea Nears Episode 55 as New Vents Feed Lava

Kilauea is building toward its next big eruptive episode. New activity started at the summit on the evening of September 14, when two vents opened near the northwest wall of Halemaumau crater and one began feeding an active lava flow. The U.S. Geological Survey has the volcano at a Watch alert level with an orange aviation color code. As of September 16 the run-up has lasted more than a week, the longest lead-in before a high fountaining episode since the series began, and USGS says Episode 55 remains possible at any time.

The lava stays inside a closed section of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, so the fountains threaten no homes. The hazard travels as gas instead. The summit is venting thousands of tonnes of sulfur dioxide a day, and that haze, called vog, drifts downwind across the Big Island. Lighter fragments, including thin strands of volcanic glass called Pele's hair, can settle miles from the vent. If you live near active volcanoes in the US, the eruption you watch on a livestream is also an air quality event that can reach your neighborhood.

Kilauea has erupted in these repeating fountaining episodes since December 2024, so another lead-up and another episode are the normal rhythm now. A prepared household treats vog the way it treats wildfire smoke. Keep N95 or better respirators in the emergency kit, learn which room in the home seals up best, and store clean water before gas and fine ash settle. If you have not staged for a summit eruption yet, start with volcanic eruption preparedness.