19 evacuated as Colima volcano spews ash in western Mexico

The volcano spewed ash more than 4 miles (7 kilometers) into the air and released some quantity of lava.

People were advised to recognize a 3-mile perimeter around the volcano’s peak.

CLOUD OF ASH. The Volcano of Fire continues to spew ash on Saturday, July 11, 2015.

ASH is raining down from the so-called “Volcano of Fire” in western Mexico and people living in its shadow are being relocated after it spectacularly erupted.

Since Thursday, the volcano has become more active, prompting officials to evacuate dozens of residents from Yerbabuena and the municipality of Comala.

Civil protection officials described the volcano’s movements as “atypical”, a kind of activity not seen since it underwent a strong eruption in 1913. People in other communities were evacuating voluntarily.

The director of Mexico’s civil protection agency, Luis Felipe Puente, tweeted Friday that preventive protocols were activated. Residents have been wearing surgical masks to protect their noses and mouths.

The inhabitants of that small community on the side of the volcano, which straddles the western states of Colima and Jalisco, were taken to La Becerrera, a town three kilometers (1.9 miles) away, due to concerns about falling ash.

One village at the foot of the mountain, Yerbabuena, was smothered in up to five centimeters (nearly two inches) of ash, authorities said, and rain also tumbled down, adding to the misery.