). ▁ ▁E ruption ▁of ▁ 3 ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁ ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁the ▁Vol c án ▁de ▁Fu ego ▁entered ▁a ▁new ▁active ▁period , ▁with ▁more ▁or ▁less ▁continuous ▁activity , ▁inter sp ers ed ▁with ▁month ly ▁er upt ive ▁episodes . ▁These ▁episodes ▁would ▁typically ▁send ▁ash ▁falling ▁on ▁communities ▁within ▁ 2 0 km ▁of ▁the ▁vol cano , ▁and ▁la va ▁flows ▁about ▁ 1 - 2 km ▁from ▁the ▁sum mit , ▁and ▁the ▁occas ional ▁py ro cl astic ▁density ▁current . ▁ ▁On ▁ 3 ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁the ▁vol cano ▁suddenly ▁produced ▁its ▁most ▁powerful ▁er u ption ▁since ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁Lar ge ▁py ro cl astic ▁density ▁curr ents ▁were ▁produced ▁that ▁over - to pped ▁the ▁bar ran ca ▁boundaries ▁they ▁had ▁previously ▁been ▁conf ined ▁to ▁and ▁unexpected ly ▁hit ▁El ▁R ode o , ▁Las ▁La jas , ▁San ▁Miguel ▁Los ▁L otes , ▁and ▁La ▁Re un ión ▁villages ▁in ▁Esc uint la , ▁which ▁buried ▁the ▁towns ▁and ▁killed ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁surprised ▁residents . ▁Later , ▁ 1 8 ▁bodies ▁were ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁San ▁Miguel ▁Los ▁L otes . ▁ ▁M embers ▁of ▁the ▁S hr in ers ▁International ▁frat ern ity ▁met ▁six ▁of ▁over ▁fifty ▁burn ed ▁children , ▁ages ▁ 1 - 1 6 , ▁that ▁were ▁sent ▁from ▁Gu atem ala