Dis­as­ter relief ser­vices with some radio ama­teurs pro­vid­ing emer­gency com­mu­ni­ca­tions have respond­ed to the erupt­ing Fuego Vol­cano in the Repub­lic of Guatemala of Cen­tral America.

The Club of Ama­teur Radio of Guatemala (CRAG) has TG0AA acti­vat­ed on HF and VHF. CRAG using fre­quen­cy of 7.118 MHz and has a VHF repeater 147.015 MHz.

Accord­ing to a report to the Emer­gency Com­mu­ni­ca­tions Coor­di­na­tor IARU Region 2, Cesar Pio San­tos HR2P, the TG0AA net­work has report­ing sta­tions from neigh­bour­ing Cos­ta Rica, Mex­i­co, Hon­duras, Cuba and Venezuela.

The vol­cano sent a cloud of ash, and forced the clo­sure of the busy La Auro­ra Inter­na­tion­al Airport.

In the largest erup­tion in three years, tourists who were hik­ing on it and those liv­ing in near­by vil­lages had to be evacuated.

Local experts expect the emer­gency to ease to allow a clean-up of the area to begin.

‑Jim Lin­ton VK3PC, Chair­man IARU Region 3 Dis­as­ter Com­mu­ni­ca­tions Committee.