MANILA (Reuters) – Officials ordered the evacuation yesterday of thousands of people living near the most active volcano in the country, warning of a possible eruption within a week.

Mayon Volcano, known for its near-perfect cone shape in Albay, has been spewing lava and ashes that reached a height of about 100 metres (330 feet) on Monday, chief volcanologist Renato Solidum said.

Alex Baloloy, senior science research analyst at the Phivolcs Mayon Observatory in Daraga, Albay, told GMA 7 that the volcanic activity recorded in the volcano's parameters, particularly the rolling of incandescent materials or lava trickles, could eventually lead to hazardous magmatic eruption.

“The volcano is showing increased activity and we deem it necessary to raise the alert,” Solidum told Reuters, saying “incandescent material” had been rapidly moving up to the crater and streaking down Mayon's southeastern slope.

Albay Governor Joey Salceda said he had ordered the evacuation of about 20,000-30,000 people living within the 6-8 km (4-5 mile) danger zone around the volcano.

“We'll start evacuating the people to safer areas tomorrow (Tuesday),” Salceda told reporters, requesting assistance from soldiers and police to move people from no-go zones to temporary shelter areas.

Salceda also told local disaster coordinating councils to directly advise the population in the danger zone to have their evacuation kits ready and wait for an advisory to be issued any time from Monday night to Tuesday.

Salceda likewise ordered the Joint Task Force Mayon to pre-position its vehicles for a possible evacuation of 30,000 residents.

Phivolcs had earlier said that there had been an increase in the current activity of Mayon Volcano since June 2009.

The Philippines lies on the “Ring of Fire”, a belt of volcanoes circling the Pacific Ocean that is also prone to earthquakes.

Mayon is the most active of 22 volcanoes in the country, having erupted more than 50 times in the last four centuries.

The most destructive eruption came in February 1841 when lava flows buried a town and killed 1,200 people.

The last time Mayon erupted was in 2006.