Kīlauea eruption episode 52 generates 500‑foot lava fountain and 19,000‑foot ash plume

Episode 52 of the Halemaʻumaʻu eruption at Kīlauea began at 7:10 p.m. HST on 28 July 2026. The north vent produced lava fountains that reached roughly 500 feet (150 m) and an effusion rate peaking at about 350 cubic yards per second, creating a plume that rose to approximately 19,000 feet above sea level.

The episode lasted about 7.4 hours, ending at 2:36 a.m. HST on 29 July 2026. During the event an estimated 6.1 million cubic yards of lava covered 40‑50 % of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor. Tephra fallout was largely confined to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, with fine ash noted in public park areas. The south vent did not fountain but emitted flames at the episode’s conclusion. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory raised the volcano alert level to WATCH and the aviation color code to ORANGE for the duration.