Hawaii’s Kīlauea volcano was putting on a spectacular show Tuesday evening, with its latest eruptive episode producing arching bands of red lava higher than some skyscrapers.
The volcano’s full bloom was punctuated by sustained fountains of lava more than 1,000 feet high, with peak heights of more than 1,300 feet — about the elevation of the top floor of the Empire State Building.
Tuesday marked a new flare-up for an eruption that started on Dec. 23, 2024, the U.S. Geological Survey said in its daily volcano status report. A USGS livestream of the performance drew thousands of viewers.
Lava flows “have covered about one third of the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu crater,” the USGS said in its report, referring to the bowl at the summit of the volcano.
The National Park Service has closed Kīlauea’s summit, citing danger from glassy volcanic fragments known as tephra.
Early Tuesday afternoon, the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency closed Highway
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