A volcano in the central Philippines explosively erupted on Monday, prompting the urgent evacuation of at least 87,000 people living within the danger zone as plumes of smoke and ash billowed thousands of feet into the air.According to information provided by the Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the Kanlaon volcano erupted just after 3 p.m. local time and sent pyroclastic flows racing down the southeastern side of the volcano based on observations from thermal cameras.HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHERThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said a pyroclastic flow contains hot lava, pumice, ash and other volcanic gas that move at high speeds down the slopes of volcanoes.PHIVOLCS raised the alert level to Alert Level 3 after the initial eruption and said further explosive eruptions are possible.The agency said it has urged local governments to evacuate communities within 6 kilometers (nearly 4 miles) of the volcano’s summit and warned that preparations should be made if additional evacuations are needed.According to a Facebook post from the Philippines Office of Civil Defense, the urgent evacuation of at least 87,000 people was underway around the volcano after it erupted.DOWNLOAD THE FREE FOX WEATHER APPOfficials said an estimated 47,000 people were within the 4-6 kilometer danger zone, and transportation support was needed to assist in the evacuation of several communities.In preparation for a “worst-case scenario,” a local stadium with the capacity to hold 30,000 people has been designated an evacuation site, and water tankers and other supplies are being staged.Cities across the region have also reported to have been impacted by ashfall, and officials were working to deploy face masks to residents.”The immediate focus remains on safeguarding the health and safety of those impacted by the volcanic activity,” officials said.The Kanlaon volcano is among dozens of volcanoes in the Philippines within the Pacific-wide Ring of Fire, where volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are common. Last week, a powerful magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Northern California, briefly prompting officials to issue a Tsunami Warning along the U.S. West Coast.