( CNN ) -- Fountains of red-hot lava shot up from the intensifying Mayon volcano as the Philippines awaited an imminent eruption , the country 's national news agency reported Tuesday . Tens of thousands of people have already fled their homes . More than 9,000 families -- a total of 44,394 people -- are being housed in evacuation camps after authorities raised the alert status of the country 's most active volcano , Albay Province Gov . Joey Salceda said . The Philippine Institute on Volcanology and Seismology was considering ratcheting up the volcano alert to the highest level , which would mean an eruption was underway , the Philippine News Agency ( PNA ) reported . But officials said not everyone is heeding their warnings -- some villagers were spotted within the danger zone checking on their homes and farms on the foothills of the volcano . The government is trying to enforce a `` no man 's land '' rule in the designated danger zone , with military and police instructed to double the personnel manning the nine checkpoints and double their foot patrol operation inside the restricted area , PNA reported . `` Mayon continued to show an intense level of activity during the past 24-hour observation period . Seismic activity remained elevated in number and size as the seismic network detected a total of 1,266 volcanic earthquakes , '' it said in a statement about the last 24 hours to 7 a.m. local time on Tuesday ( 6 p.m . ET on Monday ) . People in surrounding Albay Province have flocked to town centers to catch a glimpse of glowing lava cascading down the slopes of Mayon since the mountain began oozing fiery lava and belching clouds of ash last week . iReport : Are you there ? Share photos , video . The volcano , located about 500 km ( 310 miles ) south of the Philippine capital of Manila , has erupted 49 times since its first documented eruption in 1616 . The Philippines is situated in the so-called Ring of Fire , an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions . Mayon 's most violent eruption , in 1814 , killed more than 1,200 people and devastated several towns . Its last major eruption was in 1993 . Since then , it has remained restless , emitting ash and spewing lava .
Thousands of people evacuated from base of Mayon volcano in Philippines . Scientists warn that the volcano is about to explode . The volcano has already erupted 49 times since 1616 . Comment: