Sacramento Woman A Witness To Deadly Guatemala Volcano Eruption

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The death toll continues to rise in Guatemala after the Fuego volcano erupted Sunday afternoon. So far, 69 people have died, hundreds are injured and many are still missing.

A Sacramento woman is now trying to help save lives.

"The eruption is beyond anything we'd seen in years," said Chelsea Glass. "It's the most devastating eruption we've had in a really long time."

A massive volcano eruption roughly 30 miles from the capital city of Guatemala City sent hot molten lava spewing into the air and cascading into nearby villages. People on the ground were scrambling to escape Sunday afternoon.

Glass was just 10 miles away in a business meeting with her employees.

"We saw that ash was just falling from the sky and we went outside and saw that our cars were covered in ash," she said.

Glass runs her own travel company and splits her time between Sacramento and the city of Antigua, which is next door to one of Central America's most active volcanoes: Volcan de Fuego.

"Everybody knew that something was really, really wrong, that this was an eruption bigger than we've seen in a long time!" she told CBS13.

Firefighters have been scrambling to rescue residents trapped under the rubble and ash. More than 60 people have died, but only 13 have been identified. Lava gushing from the volcano reached temperatures as high as 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit, disfiguring many of the bodies caught in its path.

"It wasn't until last night that it really set in what needed to be done," Glass said. "The biggest thing people need right now are medical supplies, creams, ointments to cure infections."

She's also trying to collect 200 headlamps for firefighters still looking for survivors.

Right now, her business is on hold, while she turns her attention to the hundreds who are injured. And she's looking to friends, family and businesses in Northern California to support the country she's grown to love.

"For me, if people from my hometown would be willing to donate, it would mean the world to me," Glass said. "Guatemala is the only other place that's ever felt like home the way Sacramento does."

If you'd like to donate, you can visit Glass' GoFund Me page or email her directly at: Chelsea@theheartoftravel.org