( CNN ) -- Ecuador 's Tungurahua volcano erupted Saturday , sending ash and lava spewing nearly a mile into the sky . Residents evacuated the area after the country 's National Agency of Risk Control issued a `` red alert . '' The warning was later downgraded to orange , as the volcano became less active . Activity at Tungurahua -- which means `` throat of fire '' in the native Quechua language -- peaked Saturday between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. , according to the Geological Institute in Quito . At one point , the ash cloud reached nearly 3 km ( 1.9 miles ) above the volcano 's crater , according to the institute , and lava flowed about 2 km from the crater . The glacier-capped , 16,478-foot ( 5,023-meter ) volcano has erupted periodically since 1999 , when increased activity led to the temporary evacuation of the city of Banos at the foot of the volcano . Major eruptions also occurred in August 2006 and February 2008 , according to the government 's emergency management agency . Prior to this more recent activity , the last major eruption was between 1916 and 1918 . Relatively minor activity continued until 1925 , the Smithsonian Institution said on its volcano website . The volcano is 140 km south of Quito , Ecuador 's capital . CNN 's Claudia Dominguez contributed to this report .
Ash and lava spew from the Tungurahua volcano . The eruption of Mount Agung in Indonesia is one of the most dangerous volcanoes on Earth, with a potential death toll as high as 50,000 people. The ash cloud from Saturday 's eruption reached 3 km above the crater .