Update, July 29, 2026 (3:19 a.m. HST) — Episode 52 ended abruptly at 2:36 a.m. HST. Per the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory status report, the episode ran for 7.4 hours after sustained fountaining began at 7:10 p.m. July 28. HVO lowered Kīlauea to ADVISORY with the Aviation Color Code at YELLOW.

The eruption is paused. The north-vent fountain peaked near 500 feet (150 meters), and the plume reached about 19,000 feet (5,800 meters) above sea level. All eruptive activity remained confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater. Use the live cameras for visual confirmation and check NPS conditions before committing to a summit drive.

Episode 52 followed six north-vent overflow pulses lasting 10–30 minutes. Continuous overflow began at 1:56 p.m. HST and transitioned into sustained fountains at 7:10 p.m. The north vent produced all sustained fountaining during the episode; the south vent emitted flames near the end but did not fountain.

HVO estimates that 6.1 million cubic yards (4.7 million cubic meters) of lava erupted and covered about 40–50% of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor. All eruptive activity remained confined to the crater within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. This was a summit event inside the park, not a repeat of the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption.

If you are already near Volcano: check the embedded cameras above before leaving. Episode 52 has ended, so do not expect active fountains. Keep your plans flexible because glow, weather, and access can change.

If you are driving from Hilo or Kona: check the USGS webcams unless the park itself is your destination regardless of the eruption. The crater floor remains hot after an episode, but an orange glow is not guaranteed from public overlooks.

During the pause: Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but access can change with tephra, volcanic gas, construction, and crowding. Check the NPS alerts and conditions page immediately before entering. Our lava-glow viewing guide explains the rim-viewing options and why a visit between episodes is different from active fountaining.

Winds were out of the northeast during the most energetic part of Episode 52, carrying the plume south. HVO reports that the plume track remained largely within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, most tephra fell in the closed area, and fine ash reached public areas of the park. No tephra was reported from other populated areas.

Volcanic fragments can irritate skin, eyes, and lungs, and recent tephra can be remobilized by wind after fountaining stops. Keep vehicle windows closed in falling ash, avoid rubbing exposed skin or eyes, and follow park and Hawaiʻi County instructions if conditions change. People with respiratory conditions should check current summit air quality before visiting.

HVO’s current status report confirms Episode 52 has ended and the eruption is paused. Its short observatory messages track changes at the vents, while the USGS livestreams provide the fastest visual confirmation.

HawaiiGuide’s live Kīlauea eruption page keeps the current status, cameras, park-planning guidance, and episode timeline together. You can also enable eruption alerts in the HawaiiGuide app so a WATCH or WARNING change reaches your device without repeatedly refreshing the page.

We will update the live eruption page when HVO reports another material change or a forecast for Episode 53.