Update, August 13, 2026 (5:05 a.m. HST) — Episode 53 ended abruptly at 1:23 a.m. after 9.6 hours of continuous north-vent fountaining. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory final report says the episode began at 3:45 p.m. HST August 12 and produced a maximum fountain of about 500 feet (150 meters). HVO lowered Kīlauea to ADVISORY and the Aviation Color Code to YELLOW after fountaining stopped.
The north vent was the only vent that fountained. The new west vent, formerly called the collapse pit, periodically emitted flames after 7 p.m.; the south vent did not fountain. The plume reached about 18,000 feet (5,500 meters) above sea level, while tephra fall remained completely inside the closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park southwest and west of the vents. Summit inflation resumed as the episode ended, which HVO says indicates another fountaining episode is likely.
