A post shared on social media purports that a Volcano in Ethiopia erupted with “blue lava.”

Volcano in Ethiopia erupts blue lava pic.twitter.com/vxyxPKRSQ3

— Vids that will make you love earth (@VidsOfHeaven) August 21, 2023

Verdict: False

The caption is inaccurate.

Fact Check:

Hawaii electric utility has recently acknowledged that its power lines did cause a wildfire on Maui, The Associated Press reported. The electrical company accused the firefighters of declaring the fire contained and before a second fire broke out.

The Twitter post shared two images of a volcano with what appears to be blue lava emitting from it. The caption claims the photos are from Ethiopia.

The caption reads, “Volcano in Ethiopia erupts blue lava.”

The claim is inaccurate There is no credible news report that suggests the lava was blue. The images are not edited, but the caption misidentifies the substance as lava. The images are of escaping sulphuric gases, as reported on by the New Scientist website in 2014. The report stated that the blue hue is not lava.

According to the report, French photographer Olivier Grunewald took this photo without using color filters or digital enhancement. He waited for the right time of day when the wind was blowing toward the volcano so that he could get closer to the scene.

The blue flames also appeared in Indonesia’s Kawah Ijen volcano. National Geographic describes the occurrence as the ignition of sulfur.  (RELATED: Joe Biden Embellishes Fire Story In Recent Remarks In Hawaii)

This is not the first time misinformation has been shared online. Check Your Fact debunked a claim the military arrested a FEMA official for treason.