ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- The Augustine Volcano erupted twice Friday morning, once shortly before 4 a.m. local time and again just before 9 a.m.
The volcano, on an uninhabited island in lower Cook Inlet, last erupted in 1976. Augustine is 180 miles southwest of Anchorage and 75 miles southwest of Homer.
There were two smaller eruptions Wednesday.
The second and larger eruption on Friday sent ash miles into the air, the Alaska Volcano Observatory reported. Pilots detected an ash cloud 30,000 feet into the air. The cloud was moving to the east.
Scientists also detected signs of molten rock flowing down the sides of the volcano.
The observatory has declared a Code Red for the volcano, meaning that an explosive eruption could occur at any time or a major eruption is underway. A large eruption could blanket Homer and Anchorage with volcanic ash, creating air quality problems.
