Two people walked near the erupting Kilauea volcano and alerted authorities

On Tuesday, cameras of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) registered two people very close to the lava of the erupting volcano Nilailauein Hawaii, and alerted the authorities about the safety of the place.

In the video you can see how one of them even makes a gesture at the camera.

The two people, who may have come into contact with the lava emanated by eruptions up to 30 meters high, do not seem to have had problems reaching the most dangerous area, something that the authorities will now try to review.

According to the specialized site Volcano Discovery via the United States Geological Survey and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (USGS-HVO), the Kilauea eruption continued on December 30, 2025 with an alert level that remained at «Vigilance» (level 3 on a scale of 4).

On the other hand, the alert level for aviation remained at «Orange» (level 3 on a scale of 4).

There is no fixed number of “X safe meters” to approach an erupting volcano: the distance depends on the type of eruption (explosive vs. effusive), the wind, the relief (valleys/channels) and the dominant danger. Therefore, the recommendation for the general public is respect official perimeters (civil protection/parks) and do not “calculate” a safe distance on your own.

In early December, «three mouths» produced towering «lava fountains» near 370 meters highaccording to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaii Volcano Observatory.

«This triple emission is an event extremely rare and it is the first time that it has been observed during this eruption,» he stressed.

Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Photo: video capture

The activity was intermittent since an eruption began andl December 23, 2024said the geological service. All eruptive activity is «confined to the Halema’uma’u crater within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park,» the service reported.

Kilauea was very active since 1983 and erupted relatively regularly. It is one of six active volcanoes located in the Hawaiian Islands, which also include Mauna Loa, the largest volcano in the world.

Kilauea is much smaller than its neighbor Mauna Loa, but it is much more active and regularly wows tourists who travel by helicopter to see its lava spectacles.

Source “A year in eruption”: AFP