October 8, 2026 — Flames in the volcanic vents at Kīlauea summit, captured by V3cam

The vent complex in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea that has been erupting episodically since December 2024 often features flames visibly emanating from the vents at night. These flames are thought to be the result of burning hydrogen gas, with the vent geometry being an important factor to allow the hydrogen gas to be efficiently ignited. In most cases, flames are observed emanating from a hornito or small spatter cones on top of or within the vents. In this sort of geometry, water-rich magmatic gas can accumulate inside the orifice and stay in an oxygen-poor state because it has not yet mixed with the oxygen-rich ambient atmosphere. The hornito or small spatter cone effectively acts as a super-hot nozzle to help induce the combustion of hydrogen, which creates the flames. This image was taken by the V3cam, located on the south rim of the crater in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, during the early morning hours of October 8, 2026. USGS webcam image.