A Tornado of Fire? Rare ‘Lavanado’ Swirls Over Exploding Hawaiian Volcano

A firestorm rose from the heart of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano—literally. A rare “lavanado,” a swirling vortex of molten fury, was caught on camera twisting above the eruption. It’s the kind of thing you’d expect in a doomsday movie, but this was very real.

The footage, captured by photographer Scott Malis, shows a spinning column of gas and lava whipping across the crater floor. Lava churned and splattered as the fiery whirlwind danced above the volcanic inferno. Nature doesn’t mess around.

Lavanados, much like dust devils, form when scorching ground temperatures cause rapid updrafts of heated air. But this wasn’t just any warm surface—this was an erupting volcano. As hot air surged skyward and cooler air rushed in, the violent mix created the perfect conditions for a spiraling firestorm.

What makes this even wilder? The lavanado lasted for about four minutes, far longer than typical dust devils. Considering the insane heat and turbulence of an active eruption, that’s a rare and impressive phenomenon.

Kilauea itself wasn’t holding back, either. Lava fountains exploded from the volcano’s north and south vents, launching molten rock hundreds of feet into the air. The eruption kept up its relentless fury for nearly 13 hours before finally settling down—at least for now.

This wasn’t some isolated event. Kilauea has been erupting continuously since December 2024, with this latest spectacle marking the 11th such event in just a few months. It’s a reminder that Hawaii’s most infamous volcano is alive, unpredictable, and always ready to put on a show.

The science behind it is as intense as the visuals. Vertical mixing—when hot air shoots up and cooler air rushes in to replace it—creates the spinning motion needed for a lavanado to form. Add enough wind and turbulence, and suddenly, you’ve got a funnel of fire tearing through a lava field.

It’s not every day that nature flexes this hard. A lava-spewing tornado over an erupting volcano? That’s something straight out of mythology. But for those witnessing Kilauea’s rage, it was another day in the raw, untamed power of the Earth.

Five Fast Facts

• Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, erupting nearly 60 times since 1823.
• The term “lavanado” isn’t official—it’s a nickname coined by volcano enthusiasts.
• Dust devils, which form similarly, can reach heights over 3,000 feet, though lavanados are much smaller.
• Hawaiian mythology considers Kilauea the home of Pele, the goddess of volcanoes and fire.
• During past eruptions, Kilauea’s lava has reached speeds of up to 40 miles per hour.