Unrest at Alaska's Mount Spurr volcano prompts alert level increase in Anchorage as fears of eruption grow
According to the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), numerous small, shallow earthquakes continue to rumble under the volcano. An AVO flight over the volcano on Friday observed continued steaming from the summit, as well as gas emissions.
Watch: Steam emits from summit peak of Alaska's Mount Spurr amid increased unrest
Scientists with the Alaska Volcano Observatory say an eruption in the coming weeks or months is possible after increased volcanic activity. Mount Spurr hasn't erupted since 1992. (Video from March 2025)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Alaska’s Mount Spurr volcano continues to show signs of unrest, and that has led to an alert level increase in the city of Anchorage as fears of an impending eruption grow.
According to the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), numerous small, shallow earthquakes continue to rumble under the volcano. An AVO flight over the volcano on Friday observed continued steaming from the summit, as well as gas emissions.
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Image 1 of 4This image looks south toward Mount Spurr summit (foreground), taken during an overflight on March 17, 2025. (Dane Ketner/Alaska Volcano Observatory)
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Image 2 of 4This photo provides a close-up view of the lake and fumaroles within Spurr summit, taken during an overflight on March 17, 2025. (Dane Ketner/Alaska Volcano Observatory)
![https://www.muni.org/Departments/OEM/EmergencyMessages/Pages/2025-Mount-Spurr-Unrest.aspx]()
Image 3 of 4This photo shows the Mount Spurr summit looking west, taken during an overflight of Spurr and Crater Peak on March 17, 2025. (Dane Ketner/Alaska Volcano Observatory)
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Image 4 of 4This photo shows the Mount Spurr summit with its crater lake and fumaroles, taken during an overflight of Spurr and Crater Peak on March 17, 2025. (Dane Ketner/Alaska Volcano Observatory)
"AVO continues monitoring activity at Mount Spurr for signals indicating that the volcano is moving closer to an eruption," the AVO said in an update on its website. "Based on previous eruptions, changes from current activity in the earthquakes, ground deformation, summit lake conditions, and fumarolic activity would be expected if magma began to move closer to the surface."
On Thursday, the Municipality of Anchorage (MOA) Emergency Operations Center raised the activation level to Level 2 Response Incident Monitoring because of the continued unrest at Mount Spurr.
"This means that ‘a situation or event has developed that requires increased public information and has the potential for agencies to take coordinated action. The EOC may be activated by OEM staff during regular business hours, or additional hours as needed. Conditions are being monitored with information sharing networks activated,’" the MOA Emergency Operations Center said in its update.
ALASKA'S MOUNT SPURR VOLCANO SHOWING SIGNS OF POTENTIAL ERUPTION IN COMING WEEKS OR MONTHS
Anchorage School District releases Mount Spurr eruption plan
Due to the continued unrest at Mount Spurr, officials with the Anchorage School District have released their plans if the volcano erupts.
"If it's during the school day, as soon as we get word that an eruption has occurred, we're going to be reaching out to the Volcano Observatory," said Anchorage School District Office of Emergency Management Director Jared Woody. "We're going to be working with the National Weather Service, as well as (the city) to find out what are the anticipated impacts to the city. Is the ash plume coming towards us at this point?"
Despite eruption fears at Mount Spurr, the school district said it's prepared.
"The response time really determines on how much time do we have," said Anchorage School District Chief Operating Officer Jim Anderson. "If they say there's no ash coming to Anchorage, it's business as usual. We may pre-stage buses, but if they say it's coming now, we will close schools. We will inform the public. The buses, we've already walked this through with transportation, and they will start slowly getting kids home as they would a normal end of day."
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Video Of Alaska’s Mount Spurr
Video of the summit crater of Mt. Spurr taken on February 7, 2025. The lake which only formed in 2024 is mostly covered in ice.
There's also a safety plan in place if a potential ash plume approaches Anchorage so quickly that they can't get students and staff home in time.
"If it was coming so quickly that you couldn't get them home, we would move them to one of the shelter sites where we have cafeterias, we can feed them," Anderson continued. "They're going to have water. And then we'll inform the public. We know that some parents would come and pick up their students. But we'll have staff there to make sure that we affect the link-up."
District officials said every school has a volcano response plan with shelter-in-place procedures and air quality measures.
Officials said schools will check in with students and staff who have respiratory conditions and take extra precautions.
The district said it has 22 emergency conned units across the school district that are filled with N95 masks, first-aid kits and essential supplies.
Mount Spurr is an 11,000-foot-tall volcano located about 80 miles from Anchorage. It last erupted in 1992 and covered the city in ash, disrupting travel.