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© Johan Ordonez/AFPThe Fuego Volcano, seen from Alotenango municipality, Sacatepequez departament, about 65 km southwest of Guatemala City, erupts on July 1, 2015. The volcano spewed lava and columns of ash into the air and authorities have raised the alert level in the area to orange.
Guatemalan authorities issued a danger warning Wednesday in response to intensifying activity in the country's Fuego Volcano.

The volcano, 50 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of Guatemala City, was belching "fiery clouds" over the course of the day, said David de Leรณn, a spokesman for the government's disaster response office.

The danger warning issued by the government was one step short of a declaration of emergency requiring evacuation of the communities around the volcano.

He said the mountain has been shaken by explosions that have rattled windows and rooftops and spewed columns of ash to some 5,000 meters (15,000 feet) above sea level.

Guatemala's civil aviation authority was advised to take precautionary measures.

In February, a strong eruption forced authorities to close the international airport because of the falling ash.


Source: Agence France-Presse