Tourists on Guatemala’s Volcan de Fuego were caught off guard when the volcano erupted, and burning rocks began to rain down, forcing them to scramble down the slopes, the New York Post reported. A video shared on social media shows people running along volcanic trails as glowing debris falls around them.
In a video shared by AccuWeather on Friday, one hiker can be heard shouting, “Oh my God, holy s***t. Run, run!” According to the local media reports, another person grabbed a dog and carried it to safety while others tried to shield themselves from falling rocks. At one point, a hiker poured bottled water over a red-hot piece of debris that had landed nearby.
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Among those caught in the eruption was hiker Hana Garcia, who said that a burning rock burned straight through her coat and nearly hit her head.
“The volcano erupted, and I managed to film a little bit of it, but I didn’t record much because, while I was filming, I looked up and started seeing rocks falling,” Garcia told local media. “At that moment I was kind of in shock, and then I started running.”
Recalling the incident, the hiker said the experience was “unforgettable”, and she was “absolutely terrified” at the time.
Here’s what exactly happened:
Des touristes touchés par des projections de lave au Guatemala
📍 Le Fuego, l’un des volcans les plus actifs d’Amérique centrale. pic.twitter.com/Y1nQmtaEX7
— Philippe Thubé (@PhilippeDoNancy) June 21, 2026
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All About Volcan de Fuego
Volcan de Fuego, located about 43 km southwest of Guatemala City, is the country’s most active volcano. It produces small explosions every 15 to 20 minutes, but larger eruptions have been deadly. A 2018 blast triggered pyroclastic flows that buried villages and killed more than 100 people.
The latest eruption sparked debate online, with some users warning that getting close to an active volcano carries obvious risks, while others expressed relief that no one appeared seriously injured this time.
