Guatemala's 'fire volcano' erupts

Guatemala's Fuego volcano has erupted with thick plumes of ash that have blanketed several towns, including a popular tourist destination, while also prompting flight warnings.

Fuego volcano in southwestern Guatemala spewed columns of ash 5,000 meters above sea level on Saturday, forcing nearby residents to wear protective masks.

Officials issued a warning to the country's civil aviation agency, as flights could be affected by the thick ash clouds.

The National Natural Disaster coordination agency also imposed an orange alert, the second most severe in the country, as Fuego rumbled to life.

"We have issued a warning and our agencies are on alert in case the volcano increases its activity," the department's spokesman David de Leon told AFP.

The popular tourist destination Antigua Guatemala was covered in ash, which had reached towns as far as 40 kilometers from the volcano.

The ash clouds were moving at a speed of 40 kilometers per hour, de Leon said.