Hawaii's Kilauea volcano puts on dazzling show with lava fountains hundreds of feet high

HONOLULU (AP) — Lava from Hawaii's most active volcano created fountains that reached 700 feet (215 meters) Thursday during the latest episode of an ongoing eruption.

Kilauea began continuously releasing lava from its summit caldera inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Wednesday morning after a weeklong pause, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The molten rock was contained within the park and wasn't threatening residential areas.

The 14th episode ended Thursday afternoon after 28 hours. During the last seven hours, lava fountains were up to 600 feet (180) meters high, according to the USGS' Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

In the early afternoon, a webcam's livestream showed vigorous, bright-red fountains but later only showed billowing smoke.

The volcano began its current eruption on Dec. 23. It has stopped and resumed more than a dozen times since. The shortest episode lasted 13 hours, while the longest lasted eight days.

Each time, the volcano has sent lava shooting high into the sky from caldera vents, creating a dramatic sight for park visitors.

Local families on spring break were among those gathered at various overlooks in the national park, said park spokesperson Jessica Ferracane.

“There is a lot of excitement in the air and visitors are gasping in amazement, smiling from ear to ear, and walking briskly or running from parking lots to viewpoints hoping to see" the lava activity before it waned, she said in an email shortly before the fountains ceased.

The eruption is the sixth recorded at Kilauea’s summit since 2020.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park encompasses the summits of two of the world’s most active volcanoes: Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Kilauea also erupted in June and September 2024.

The park, on Hawaii's Big Island, is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) south of Honolulu.