Guatemala's Fire Volcano spews rock and ash, dusting homes in Antigua as officials issue alert

A family covers their faces with surgical masks as they walk next to a car covered with ash from the eruption of the Fuego Volcano at Antigua Guatemala, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015. A national disaster preparedness official in Guatemala said that the Fire Volcano has erupted, spewing incandescent rock and ash that dusted surrounding communities. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) (The Associated Press)

Rooftops and San Francisco church, background, are covered with ash from the eruption of the Fuego Volcano at Antigua Guatemala, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015. A national disaster preparedness official in Guatemala said that the Fire Volcano has erupted, spewing incandescent rock and ash that dusted surrounding communities. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) (The Associated Press)

A tourist covers his face as he walks next to a car covered with ash from the eruption of the Fuego Volcano at Antigua Guatemala, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015. A national disaster preparedness official in Guatemala said that the Fire Volcano has erupted, spewing incandescent rock and ash that dusted surrounding communities. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) (The Associated Press)

A national disaster preparedness official in Guatemala says the Fire Volcano has exploded, spewing incandescent rock and ash that dusted surrounding communities.

Spokesman David de Leon says authorities put the southern Guatemala area on alert, though no evacuations have been made so far.

Karina Lopez, a resident of nearby Antigua, said Saturday that ash mixed with a drizzle to reduce visibility and that the rumblings continued.

The National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction issued instructions urging people to take shelter, wear masks, cover water tanks and be aware of evacuation routes. Firefighters were standing by.

The volcano sits on the border of the Guatemalan states of Escuintla, Sacatepequez and Chimaltenango. It has a height of 3,763 meters (12,346 feet) above sea level.