NewsWorld newsGuatemalaLIVEUpdated 3 mins agoVolcán de Fuego in Guatemala - one of the most volatile volcanoes in the world - has started erupting, with a nationwide 'danger' alert issuedThe Fuego volcano erupts 65 kilometers southwest of Guatemala City on August 3, 2026(Image: AFP via Getty Images)A state of emergency has been declared after the sudden eruption of one of Central America's most dangerous volcanoes.Volcán de Fuego, famous for being one of the most active and volatile volcanoes in the world, started erupting in Guatemala on Monday morning and had intensified by nightfall, sending molten lava and huge plumes of ash and smoke spewing into the air.Officials responded by issuing the country's second-highest emergency alert and rapidly moving to evacuate residents from the danger zone."An orange (danger) alert has been declared nationwide due to the eruption of the Fuego volcano,” Guatemalan disaster agency Conred posted on X as it began evacuating two villages close to the volcano's base.View PostView PostView PostToday10:01 BSTPrevious eruptionsGuatemala lies on the Pacific's infamous "Ring of Fire" and experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity as a result.Last year 500 people were evacuated after Fuego began to spew ash and smoke, while the government shut down school activities and closed a road leading from the volcano to the nearby city of Antigua.A previous eruption in 2023 saw the evacuation of around 1,200 people from the area.Today09:54 BSTWatch the eruption liveDisaster-spotting YouTube channel AfarTV is currently broadcasting footage of the eruption live. Watch the livestream below:Today09:50 BSTLava continuing to flowThe volcano is currently increasing in activity, with more lava continuing to flow down the southwest side of the mountain, Conred reports.Content cannot be displayed without consent‌Today09:45 BSTWhere is Volcán de Fuego?Volcán de Fuego, Spanish for volcano of fire,' lies in the Sierra Madre mountain range in Central America, around 16km west of Antigua, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region.Fuego is famous for being almost contantly active at low levels, discharging ash, smoke and low-level explosions nearly every 15-20 minuties.Although larger eruptions are more rare, this marks the ninth major eruption since 2015Today09:28 BSTGuatemala's disaster prevention agency sounds the alarmConred, the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction in Guatemala, confirmed that the area was unsafe earlier today.Content cannot be displayed without consentToday09:28 BSTThe Fuego volcano has started eruptingThe famously volatile Volcán de Fuego in Guatemela began erupting on Monday morning. It is the third major eruption in four years for Central America’s most active volcano.Fuego last erupted twice in 2023, causing the evacuation of around 1,700 people as they were rushed to safety.It also erupted in 2018, killing 215 people after lava poured down into a nearby village.‌