You’ve probably seen the headlines or maybe a grainy livestream of orange fire shooting into a dark sky. On Monday, January 12, 2026, Kilauea decided to remind everyone who’s really in charge of the Big Island.
Episode 40 happened. It was fast. It was loud. And then, just like that, it stopped.
If you’re looking for the latest volcano news in Hawaii, you’re likely trying to figure out if it’s safe to visit or if the Big Island is about to have another 2018-style meltdown. Honestly? It’s complicated, but not in the way you might think. We aren't looking at homes being destroyed right now. Instead, we are watching a geological "heartbeat" that has become strangely rhythmic over the last year.
The 10-Hour Firework Show
At exactly 8:22 a.m. on Monday, the north vent inside Halemaʻumaʻu crater went from a lazy simmer to a full-blown roar. We’re talking lava fountains hitting 800 feet in height. For context, that’s taller than the Washington Monument.
The heat was intense enough that the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) bumped the aviation code to ORANGE. This wasn't just a little bit of glow; it was a massive output of molten rock. But here is the weird part: by 6:04 p.m. that same evening, the fountains died.
9.7 hours. That was it.
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The "death" of an episode doesn't mean the volcano is sleeping. Far from it. Since December 23, 2024, Kilauea has been stuck in this cycle of "episodic" eruptions. It builds up pressure, screams for a few hours, and then takes a nap.
What the Scientists Are Actually Seeing
Geologists like the team at HVO are currently staring at tiltmeters—basically super-sensitive levels that tell them if the ground is swelling. Right now, the summit is inflating again. Fast.
- Re-pressurization: The moment the lava stopped flowing on Monday, the volcano started "inhaling" again.
- Tilt Rebound: The UWD tiltmeter recorded a 1.5 microradian jump almost immediately after the eruption ended.
- Earthquake Swarms: Between midnight and 3:00 a.m. yesterday, 22 small earthquakes rattled the summit. They weren't big enough to break your coffee mugs, but they're proof that magma is moving back into the shallow reservoirs.
Kilauea is basically a pressure cooker that vents every two weeks or so. If you’re tracking the volcano news in Hawaii, the "two-week rule" is the pattern to watch. Based on the last 40 episodes, we can probably expect the next big show around the end of January.
The Gas Problem Nobody Talks About
While the lava stays inside the crater, the gas doesn't. This is where it gets annoying for locals. During Episode 40, Kilauea was pumping out between 50,000 and 100,000 tonnes of sulfur dioxide (SO2) per day.
When that hits the air, it turns into Vog.
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It’s a thick, acrid smog that makes the Kona side of the island look like a hazy Los Angeles afternoon. If you have asthma, it’s a nightmare. Even when the volcano isn't "erupting" (like right now), it’s still off-gassing about 1,000 to 5,000 tonnes of SO2 daily.
There's also Pele’s Hair. These are tiny, sharp shards of volcanic glass that the wind picks up and carries for miles. They look like golden strands of hair, but if you touch them, they'll splinter into your skin. Not fun.
Is Mauna Loa Waking Up Too?
Short answer: No.
People always freak out that Mauna Loa will join the party. Currently, the world's largest volcano is at a NORMAL/GREEN alert level.
There was a tiny spike in earthquakes under its summit back in December, but that has since cooled off by about 40%. It’s still recovering from its 2022 eruption. Think of Mauna Loa as the big brother who's still hungover from a party three years ago while the younger brother (Kilauea) is currently jumping on the bed.
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Why This News Matters for Your Travel Plans
If you’re heading to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, you’re actually in a "sweet spot" for viewing. Because the activity is confined to the Halemaʻumaʻu crater, the park remains open.
You can stand at overlooks like Uēkahuna or Keanakākoʻi and see the glow. However, the crater floor itself is a literal death trap of unstable walls and toxic gas. Don't be the person who tries to hop the fence for a TikTok. The HVO has been very clear: the rim is prone to "slumping," which is a fancy word for the ground disappearing from under your feet.
How to Track the Next Eruption
Don't rely on old news. The situation changes every six hours. Here is how you actually stay informed:
- Check the Tilt: If you see the UWD tiltmeter on the USGS site climbing steadily for 48 hours, an eruption is likely imminent.
- Watch the Webcams: The V3cam and S1cam provide real-time views of the crater. If the "glow" turns into a "fountain," you’ll see it there first.
- Wind Direction: Use the University of Hawaii Vog Model to see where the gas is blowing. If the winds shift to the south (Kona winds), the summit will be clear but the rest of the island will be hazy.
The current volcano news in Hawaii suggests we are in a holding pattern for the next 10 to 14 days. Expect the summit to keep swelling, the earthquakes to stay shallow, and the lava to stay underground—until the pressure becomes too much to hold.
For the most immediate updates, keep the USGS Volcano Notification Service bookmarked. They usually issue a "Volcanic Activity Notice" the second the fountaining starts back up. Stay safe, keep your distance from the rim, and enjoy the show from the legal overlooks.
Actionable Next Step: Check the USGS Kilauea Live Stream tonight around dusk. Even during a "pause," you can often see residual incandescence from the vent area, which provides a much better sense of the crater's scale than daytime photos.