Watch North Vent Cone Break Apart at Kilauea - Will it Survive Episode 55? (Oct 17, 2026)

This video captures a dramatic moment during episode 55 of Kīlauea’s ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption, as the cone around the north vent begins to break apart while lava fountaining intensifies. As the eruption grows stronger, pieces of the north vent cone can be seen collapsing and breaking away. The fountain becomes so intense that the cone is eventually obscured from view. We’ll have to wait until episode 55 ends to see what, if anything, remains of the cone after the eruption subsides. According to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, episode 55 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu began at 3:19 a.m. HST on October 17, 2026, and was still continuing as of 5:00 a.m. HST. By that time, the north vent fountain had reached a maximum height of about 720 feet (220 meters). USGS also reported t