Alaska scientists take Mount Spurr off volcano alert list as eruption risk dwindles

Alaska’s volcano experts no longer expect an eruption anytime soon from Mount Spurr, the closest active volcano to Anchorage.

On Wednesday, the Alaska Volcano Observatory formally lowered the alert level for Mount Spurr from yellow to green after months of declining activity.

“Things are OK right now, and hopefully that continues in the future,” said David Fee, coordinating scientist for the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, which operates the observatory alongside the U.S. Geological Survey.

While the land immediately around Spurr isn’t inhabited, ash emitted from the volcano has disrupted life in Southcentral Alaska before. In 1953 and 1992, Spurr eruptions dumped ash on Anchorage, disrupting air travel.

Starting in February 2024, scientists had observed large num