Kilauea volcano erupts episode 49 with 700‑foot lava fountains in Hawaii

Kilauea’s episode 49 eruption began at 09:36 HST (19:36 UTC) on 14 June 2026 at the Halemaʻumaʻu crater on the Big Island. Lava fountains rose to roughly 213 m (700 ft) and continued for 7.5 hours before ending at 17:05 HST (03:05 UTC on 15 June). The plume reached about 5,500 m (18,000 ft) above sea level, and ash and tephra fell mainly within a 5‑km radius of the vents, with lighter particles drifting southwest on northeast winds.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory listed the volcano’s alert level at WATCH and the Aviation Color Code at ORANGE. No damage to monitoring equipment was reported, although a previous episode destroyed a summit camera. Authorities advised residents, especially those with respiratory sensitivities, to limit exposure to ash.