The Volcano of Fire has erupted twice in 2025, forcing thousands of Maya villagers to flee into the dark without electricity, shelter, or safe evacuation routes.
At a Glance
- Thousands of Maya people fled after Volcán de Fuego erupted in March and again in June, displacing entire communities.
- Emergency brigades treated burns, infections, and trauma using mobile medical backpacks.
- Nearly 40% of affected communities lack electricity and viable evacuation routes.
- Over $600,000 in emergency aid was delivered since March 2025.
- Many displaced families had previously resettled near the volcano due to postwar land dispossession.
Fire in the Dark
Volcán de Fuego—one of the most active volcanoes in Central America—erupted violently twice in 2025, sending ash clouds and lava flows across Maya communities near Antigua Guatemala. The June 5 event followed a similar March blast, with both triggering large-scale evacuations and emergency mobilization.
Guatemala’s national disaster agency, CONRED, relocated hundreds to temporary shelters amid nighttime evacuations and falling debris. Many fled barefoot through heavy ash and rain-soaked terrain, as lahars and blocked roads intensified the risk.
Watch a report: The Volcano of Fire Threatens Maya Communities
Medicine on Foot
The humanitarian response was led by Fundación Margarita Valiente, whose teams carried Direct Relief–equipped backpacks into hard-hit regions. These mobile kits—filled with emergency gear, hygiene kits, glow sticks, and diagnostic tools—functioned as frontline trauma centers amid the chaos.
Kaqchikel Maya physician Dr. Ronaldo Similox said the backpacks signaled help was near and allowed teams to treat burns, respiratory distress, and severe psychological trauma on-site. Most victims lacked access to basic care, and nearly 40% of families in the impact zone remain disconnected from electricity or stable infrastructure.
Structural Displacement
The volcanic foothills are home to tens of thousands of Maya people—descendants of survivors of Guatemala’s 36-year civil war and genocide. Many were resettled here after their ancestral lands were taken, locking them into high-risk zones with few alternatives.
Fundación Margarita Valiente, founded after the 1976 earthquake, now supports 20 Maya-run clinics and two trauma-ready sites in Chimaltenango. Dr. Similox emphasized that culturally competent care—delivered in native languages and sensitive to traditional beliefs—is essential to rebuilding resilience.
More than $10.4 million in medical aid has been delivered to Guatemala by Direct Relief since 2009—including $600,000 in the past four months alone.
The fire may pass, but for Maya survivors caught in this recurring inferno, the danger remains etched into the land—and the future.
