The Fire Volcano (Volcán de Fuego) in southern Guatemala exploded incandescent rock and ash over surrounding towns Saturday.

David de Leon, spokesman for the national disaster preparedness office, told Associated Press that authorities had put area on alert, but no evacuations had been made so far.

Karina Lopez, a resident of nearby Antigua, said ash mixed with a drizzle to reduce visibility and the volcano continued to rumble.

The National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction agency issued instructions urging people to take shelter, wear masks, cover water tanks and be aware of evacuation routes. Firefighters were standing by.

The volcano sits on the border of the Guatemalan states of Escuintla, Sacatepequez and Chimaltenango. It has a height of 3,763 meters (12,346 feet) above sea level. It is an active stratovolcano and sits about 20 miles (16 kilometers) from the colonial city of Antigua Guatemala, one of the Guatemala’s most famous tourist attractions. It has erupted frequently since the Spanish conquest. "Fuego" is famous for being almost constantly active at a low level. Smoke issues from its top daily, but larger eruptions are rare.
(with inputs from foreign media)