Columbia Reports (Link) - Adriaan Alsema (January 2, 2010)
The south-west Colombian Galeras volcano erupted on Saturday, forcing authorities to declare a red alert and urge an evacuation of people living in the vicinity of the volcano.
A Red Cross representative reported a �very high ash cloud� and urged the 8,000 people living near the volcano to evacuate.
The spokesman said some parts of the forest on the volcanic mountain had caught fire because of lava flowing from the volcano�s mouth.
The volcano is located close to the city of Pasto where a lot of tourists are staying because of the city�s world-famous carnival.
In 2009, the volcano, considered the most active in Colombia, erupted three times.