Episode 31 of the ongoing Kilauea eruption ended abruptly at 2:52 a.m. today after more than 12 hours of intense lava fountaining inside Halemaumau crater, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.

Inclined lava fountains Aug. 22, 2025, during Episode 31 of the ongoing episodic summit eruption at Kīlauea volcano on the Big Island. Fountains extended 1,000 feet laterally from the north vent within Halemaʻumaʻu Crater, ejecting molten rock eastward toward the center of the crater. (Photo Courtesy: U.S. Geoloigcal Survey/M. Zoeller)

Episode 30 marked the most significant change in the current eruption. It began, as usual, with lava overflowing from the north vent just before 1 a.m. on Aug. 6. However, instead of transitioning to a roaring eruptive tremor and a steady deflationary signal,

Kalapana was a sleepy Hawaiian fishing village until Kilauea volcano decided to rewrite the map. Starting in 1990, slow-moving lava crept through this historic community like thick honey, giving residents months to watch their homes burn one by one.