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Yes. Kīlauea’s Episode 39 lava fountains stopped early Dec. 24, 2025, after an overnight burst that lasted nearly six hours. The activity stayed inside Halemaʻumaʻu Crater, and the alert level was Watch with an aviation color code of Orange at the time of the report. Conditions around the summit, park access and any new episode can change quickly, so visitors should check current Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory notices before traveling.
When did Episode 39 start and end?
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) revised the start time to 8:20 p.m. Hawaiʻi Standard Time on Dec. 23, using summit tilt and seismic-tremor data. The north vent stopped at about 2 a.m. on Dec. 24. The south vent continued until 2:13 a.m., when the episode ended abruptly. HVO described the event as nearly six hours of continuous lava fountaining.
All observed activity was confined to Halemaʻumaʻu Crater at Kīlauea’s summit inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The Associated Press reported that the lava did not threaten homes or buildings during this episode.
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How high and how powerful were the fountains?
| Measurement | Episode 39 observation |
|---|---|
| South-vent fountain height | Up to 1,400 feet, according to HVO’s Dec. 24, 2025 event report. |
| North-vent fountain height | Just under 1,000 feet at about 9:30 p.m., according to HVO. |
| Estimated lava volume | About 13 million cubic yards, HVO estimate for Episode 39. |
| Combined average eruption rate | More than 250 cubic yards per second from the two fountains, HVO estimate. |
| Crater-floor coverage | Lava flows covered approximately 60% to 70% of the Halemaʻumaʻu Crater floor. |
| Summit deflation | About 26.3 microradians of deflation were recorded during the episode. |
The two vents behaved differently: the north vent shut down first, while the south vent produced the final activity. Episode 39 was shorter than Kīlauea’s approximately 14-hour first episode but produced substantially taller fountains, according to the contemporaneous event report.
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Why does Kīlauea produce bursts of lava fountaining?
The Associated Press explained that magma rises through narrow, pipe-like vents carrying dissolved gases. Pressure builds when fresh magma pushes against heavier, degassed magma left from the previous episode. When that pressure is released through the vents, gas-driven lava can jet high above the crater floor. HVO scientist-in-charge Ken Hon compared interpreting the system to “a bunch of ants crawling on an elephant trying to figure out how the elephant works,” emphasizing how difficult it is to predict every change inside the volcano.
USGS describes the broader summit eruption as episodic rather than continuously fountaining. Individual fountains generally last less than 12 hours, while pauses can extend beyond three weeks. The end of Episode 39 therefore does not, by itself, mean the larger eruption has permanently stopped.
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What changed after the fountains stopped?
Volcanic-gas emissions dropped sharply after the episode. Lava in the southern Kaluapele area could nevertheless remain slowly moving or incandescent while it cooled. Radar no longer detected an ash plume, but the National Weather Service warned that wind can remobilize lingering ash particles.
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- Rapid summit change from deflation back to inflation and declining seismic tremor accompanied the end of the episode.
- HVO said it would continue monitoring and issue another notice when the next eruptive episode begins.
Is Kīlauea safe to visit after Episode 39?
Do not treat the end of fountaining as an all-clear. USGS lists several summit hazards: volcanic gases such as sulfur dioxide and vog, tephra, unstable crater walls, ground cracks and rockfalls. The crater rim around Halemaʻumaʻu has been closed to the public since 2007 because it is extremely hazardous.
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Park conditions, roads, viewing areas and alert levels can change without notice. Check official Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park notices and current HVO/USGS alerts immediately before entering the park, and follow every closure or evacuation instruction. People with asthma or other respiratory conditions should take extra precautions if ash or vog is reported.
Can you still see Kīlauea lava online?
The Episode 39 report does not establish that an active livestream remained available after the fountains stopped, nor does it guarantee that cooling lava will be visible. Official HVO and USGS webcam pages and activity updates are the appropriate places to check for current images, new episodes and hazard information. A camera view can change from bright fountaining to darkness or a small incandescent area even while hot material remains beneath the surface.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happens next?
HVO’s monitoring continues through summit tilt, seismic tremor, gas measurements, radar and visual observations. The key signals to watch are renewed inflation, rising tremor and a new notice identifying another episode. Until that notice appears, Episode 39 should be understood as ended, while the episodic summit eruption remains an active, closely monitored system.
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