Current status, November 6, 2:50 p.m. HST: HVO’s November 6, 2:50 p.m. HST notice lowered Kīlauea from WATCH/ORANGE to ADVISORY/YELLOW after Episode 56 fountaining ended November 5 at 6:01 p.m. HST. The ongoing eruption’s vents and lava flows remain confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater. Gas can remain hazardous downwind even without active fountaining, wind can stir up tephra, and hot lava may move slowly in the closed summit area. The lower alert level is not an all-clear or a park reopening, and a public lava view is not guaranteed. Check the newest HVO notice, cameras, NPS air quality, and park conditions before a lava-specific drive. NPS viewing guidance warns that weather and activity can prevent views. Stay outside closed areas and park only in designated spaces.

HVO’s 9:59 a.m. HST notice on October 17 reports Episode 55 fountaining ended abruptly at 9:03 a.m. HST after about six hours. The episode began at 3:19 a.m. inside Halemaʻumaʻu. The earlier north fountain reached 720 feet (220 m), and HVO’s 7:47 a.m. message reported it had declined to about 500 feet (150 m). HVO lowered Kīlauea to ADVISORY/YELLOW at 9:59 a.m. HST. Hot lava in Halemaʻumaʻu and the southwest side of Kaluapele may still move slowly; volcanic gas can remain hazardous downwind, and wind can remobilize tephra. This is an end to Episode 55 fountaining, not an all-clear or a park reopening. Do not assume lava is visible from an open public area. Check the newest HVO notice, live cameras, and current NPS conditions before a lava-specific trip; stay outside closed areas.

Earlier precursor activity is context, not a forecast: HVO’s September 16 update documented five additional vents on and near the base of Halemaʻumaʻu’s northwest crater wall. Check the newest HVO notice and current park conditions before making a trip specifically to see lava.

The first five new vents opened September 14–15. HVO now places the first opening at 8:36 p.m. HST September 14, with lava flowing around 9 p.m. These vents are separate from the established vent complex. See HVO’s annotated image of the first five vents for their locations. Check the latest report and live cameras before making a trip specifically to see fountains.

The featured photograph shows an earlier eruption. Use the live cameras above for today’s view.

HVO’s October 7 status report says pressure allowed magma to exploit summit fractures formed during the 2018 caldera collapse. It maps the September 30–October 1 dike within about 300 meters of the surface. At that time HVO no longer saw the monitoring pattern that previously made fountain episodes forecastable. Episode 55 began at 3:19 a.m. HST October 17 and ended at 9:03 a.m. HST. Episode 56 fountaining began at 12:10 p.m. November 5 and ended at 6:01 p.m.; check the current status above and NPS before a lava-specific visit.

HVO counted 104 precursor overflows between September 7 and 12. Additional vents opened in mid-September and later ceased. HVO’s activity notice calls the renewed north-vent flows low-level precursors for Episode 55 and says it is unclear whether they will lead to lava fountaining. Those were precursor events; HVO’s October 17 message reports 359 overflows since Episode 54 ended and confirms Episode 55 began at 3:19 a.m. HST. Check for a newer HVO message before traveling.

Check the newest HVO notice before leaving.

During Episode 55, HVO reported an eruption plume about 25,000 feet above sea level at 5:22 a.m. HST; its 7:47 a.m. message later put the plume top below 13,000 feet (4,000 m). Fountaining ended at 9:03 a.m. HST. HVO’s subsequent notice warns that volcanic gas can remain hazardous downwind and tephra can be stirred up by wind even after vents stop erupting. Check current air-quality guidance before visiting.

HVO’s October 13 update reports low seismicity and deformation in both rift zones; it does not report rift-zone migration. Episode 55 vents and flows were confined to Halemaʻumaʻu in a closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, but gases and airborne particles can travel beyond the crater. HVO also warns that earthquakes may cause dangerous rockfalls near summit cliffs. Stay back from unstable crater rims and follow park closures. Check NPS air-quality guidance before and during a visit, and follow ranger instructions.

Start with the live tracker and cameras. NPS alerts and conditions currently close old Crater Rim Drive, Keanakākoʻi overlooks and Crater Rim Trail to Keanakākoʻi crater for volcanic unrest. Devastation parking remains open. Check current park access before a lava-specific visit.

Do not enter closed park areas or cross a closure for a closer look. NPS says most summit areas and the Kahuku Unit reopened September 27, but follow current area-specific restrictions before planning a park or lava-viewing visit.