Mexico's "Volcano of Fire'' Spits Lava, Ash;
Larger Eruption Predicted

May 21, 2002
COLIMA, Mexico (AP) --

Mexico's "Volcano of Fire" spit bits of lava and ash on Tuesday and scientists predicted a larger explosion in coming days.

Some 300 people have been evacuated from five small hamlets near the volcano's crater but a few families have refused to leave, staying while police patrol empty streets.

The 12,533-foot (3,820-meter) volcano registered fewer tremors after Tuesday's activity, but scientists at the University of Colima said there was still the risk of an eruption somewhere between the size of those in 1999 and one in 1913.

The 1999 eruptions sent glowing rock three miles down the volcano's slopes and sent up a plume of ash more than 5 miles (8 kms) high.

The 1913 explosion created a crater 1,650 feet (500 meters) deep, blasted fast-moving flows of hot ash down the volcano's slopes and rained ash on Guadalajara, 75 miles (120 kms) to the north.

On Saturday, some 70 residents were evacuated from the Jalisco state towns of Juan Barragan, El Agostadero, El Borbollon and Los Machos, located 10 miles (16 kms) from the crater. Neighboring Colima state evacuated Yerbabuena, a hamlet of 200 people located near the peak of the volcano.

The volcano, 300 miles (480 kms) west of Mexico City, is located on the border of the two states.

Dozens of residents were evacuated in February from towns in both states after hot rocks began rolling down the volcano's slopes. No one was injured.

Volcanologists consider the Colima volcano to be one of the most active and potentially the most destructive of Mexico's volcanoes.

It has erupted violently dozens of times since its first recorded eruption in 1560.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2002/05/21/international1613EDT6336.DTL