Guatemala

Hundreds Evacuated in Guatemala as Fuego Volcano Erupts

JUN 6 2025·Updated JUN 12 2025

Story

Above: Security forces restrict access to National Route 14 in the department of Sacatepequez to prevent public and private vehicles from traveling through the area after Fuego Volcano erupts in Guatemala City, Guatemala on June 5, 2025. Image credit: Luis Vargas/Contributor/Anadolu via Getty Images

The Facts

Guatemala's National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) said on Friday that at least 700 people have been evacuated from their homes as a precaution after Fuego volcano spewed ash and lava thousands of meters into the air.
Al Jazeera
Reuters
This comes as disaster officials have advised residents from areas near the volcano to avoid staying or traveling near the ravines, to cover water tanks, to wear a mask or cover their nose and mouth, and to locate and know evacuation routes, reminding them of the importance of self-evacuation in volcanic emergencies.
CONRED
Classes at 39 schools in the area have been suspended, and a road linking southern Guatemala to the colonial city of Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was closed. Volcanic activity is expected to last for at least 40 hours, and the number of evacuees could rise further.
ap
Al Jazeera
Fuego, a 12,300-foot (3,763-meter) volcano located not far from Guatemala City, is one of the most active in Central America, with previous eruptions causing several mass evacuations and hundreds of deaths.
Al Jazeera
ap
About 900 people were evacuated to temporary shelters in March this year, the first eruption in almost two years. Earlier, almost 1,200 had been evacuated in May 2023.
Voz
Channelstv
In June 2018, 215 people died and about 200 were missing as a village was devastated in the most violent eruption of Fuego in about four decades. Guatemala is home to 37 volcanoes, but most are considered dormant or extinct.
France 24
Reuters

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The Spin

Narrative A

The swift evacuation response demonstrates that Guatemala has improved its disaster preparedness following the tragic 2018 eruption that killed over 200 people. Authorities are acting decisively to move residents to safety before conditions worsen. The coordinated effort between national and local officials shows lessons learned from past volcanic disasters have strengthened emergency protocols.

Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery

Narrative B

Historical patterns show that volcanic eruptions in Guatemala disproportionately affect poor, Indigenous communities who lack the resources to relocate permanently from dangerous areas. The recurring evacuations highlight how poverty and inequality make rural populations particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. Colonial legacies and centuries of marginalization continue to exacerbate these volcanic tragedies.

The Conversation