Person dies after going into area they shouldn’t near Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii
Rivers of lava flowed down several vents of the Halemaʻumaʻu on Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano overnight Monday, ahead of a potential 40th eruptive episode this week.
HAWAI’I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii — A person has died after reportedly entering a closed-off area near the Kilauea volcano within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
The National Park Service (NPS) said they responded to an incident on Feb. 26 in a closed area on the east side of Kilauea caldera within the national park.
WATCH: HAWAII’S KĪLAUEA VOLCANO ERUPTS, SENDING RAGING LAVA FOUNTAIN 1,500 FEET INTO THE AIR
Officials said the volcano wasn’t erupting at the time. Search and rescue crews conducted overnight operations in steep, hazardous terrain.
The next day, authorities found the individual and airlifted him from the area. He was pronounced dead at a nearby medical center, according to NPS.
Kilauea’s caldera after eruptions: Taken on August 29, 2025
(USGS/Hawaiian Volcano Observatory / FOX Weather)
The person who died is a 33-year-old Hawaii resident, but their identity is being withheld pending privacy considerations.
The Kilauea caldera has hazardous terrain, including unstable cliff edges and volcanic features. This area is closed to the public due to extreme danger, including potential landslides and cracks from tremor, especially near the Halemaʻumaʻu crater rim, according to the USGS.
The last Kilauea eruption happened on Feb. 15, 2026. It marked the 42nd time the volcano has erupted since Dec. 23, 2024. During that eruption, the south vent dropped rapidly, then jetted back up for about 30 seconds.
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Rivers of lava flowed down several vents of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater on Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano overnight Monday — the latest signs of activity for one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
(USGS Volcanoes) -
Rivers of lava flowed down several vents of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater on Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano overnight Monday — the latest signs of activity for one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
(USGS Volcanoes) -
Kilauea erupts on June 20, 2025 for 26th time since Dec. 2024.
(USGS) -
HAWAII, UNITED STATES – JUNE 12: Lava fountains rise over 500 feet above the western rim of Halemaumau crater during the ongoing 25th eruptive episode of the Klauea summit eruption in Hawaii, United States, on June 11, 2025.
(USGS – M. Zoeller) -
HAWAII, USA – JANUARY 17: (—-EDITORIAL USE ONLY – MANDATORY CREDIT – ‘USGS/ K. Lynn. / HANDOUT’ – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS—-) A view of the two vents erupting in the southwest part of Halemaumau Crater in Kaluapele (Kilauea summit caldera) at approximately 6 a.m. HST on January 16, 2025 in Hawaii, United States. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists in the field this morning measured the lava fountains as reaching approximately 60 meters (197 feet) high. Lava fountains are feeding lava flows that are active in Halemaumau in the southwest part of the caldera.
(K. Lynn/USGS/Anadolu) -
Lava shoots from the Kilauea volcano during an eruptive episode on April 22, 2025.
(USGS) -
This image comes from a USGS live stream of the eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano on Jan. 16, 2025.
(USGS) -
FILE — Eruption of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, as pictured on Sept. 17, 2024
(USGS) -
Footage by John D Tarson, of EpicLava, shows lava spewing from the volcano on Tuesday night.
(EpicLava via Storyful) -
The glow from the eruption of KÄ«lauea volcano, visible from Volcano House in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park during the early morning hours of June 3. Image courtesy of Volcano House.
(Volcano House/USGS)
Volcanic activity is episodic, with eruptions separated by pauses lasting several days or more, and they can last as short as a few hours. The next eruption is expected to take place anytime between March 10 and 16, but the forecast window could change depending on the circumstances.
WATCH AS LAVA FLOW ERUPTS FROM KILAUEA CRATER IN HAWAII
Visitors are being reminded to remain in designated open areas and comply with all closures for their safety. The incident remains under investigation.
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