Photos:: Volcanoes in southern Chile erupt

The Calbuco volcano erupts near Puerto Varas, Chile. Wednesday’s eruption marked the first such activity in more than 42 years, billowing a huge ash cloud over the sparsely populated, mountainous area in southern Chile. (Diego Main / Associated Press)

March 3, 2015 4:24 PM PT

The Calbuco and Villarrica volcanoes have each erupted within the past month in southern Chile, spewing fiery plumes of lava into the night sky and forcing evacuations in nearby towns.

The Calbuco volcano erupts Wednesday near Puerto Varas, Chile. (David Cortes Serey / Associated Press)

View from Frutillar, southern Chile, of lava spewing from the Calbuco volcano. (Martin Bernetti / AFP / Getty Images)

A man wears a mask to prevent the harmful effects of the Calbuco volcano ashes, in Puerto Varas, Chile. (Martin Bernetti / AFP/Getty Images)

View of Calbuco volcano from Puerto Montt in southern Santiago de Chile, Chile. (Alex Vidal Brecas / EPA)

Children watch the Calbuco volcano erupt, from Puerto Varas, Chile. The volcano billowed a huge ash cloud over a sparsely populated, mountainous area in southern Chile. (Carlos F. Gutierrez / Associated Press)

View from Puerto Montt, southern Chile, of a high column of ash and lava spewing from the Calbuco volcano on Wednesday. (Diego Main / AFP / Getty Images)

Smoke billows from the Villarrica volcano, in Pucon, Chile, on Sunday, March 29. Part of southern Chile is on alert because of an increase in activity at the volcano, just weeks after it erupted and forced thousands of people to evacuate.

(Sebastian Escobar / AFP / Getty Images)

Villarrica volcano on Monday, March 30.

(Sebastian Escobar / AFP/Getty Images)

A general view shows Villarrica volcano seen from Pucon, Chile, on Saturday. Chilean authorities kept the alert in place in the region due to Villarrica’s increasing eruptions.

(Francisco Negroni / EPA)