Update, July 29, 2026 (3:19 a.m. HST) — Episode 52 ended abruptly at 2:36 a.m. HST. Per the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory status report, the episode ran for 7.4 hours after sustained fountaining began at 7:10 p.m. July 28. HVO lowered Kīlauea to ADVISORY with the Aviation Color Code at YELLOW.
The eruption is paused. The north-vent fountain peaked near 500 feet (150 meters), and the plume reached about 19,000 feet (5,800 meters) above sea level. All eruptive activity remained confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater. Use the live cameras for visual confirmation and check NPS conditions before committing to a summit drive.
