Mexico's famed Popocatepetl volcano spews smoke and ash on nearby towns and villages.<br/> <br />Officials are now considering the possibility of evacuations, and are mobilizing to prepare for such measures.<br/> <br />Last month, Mexico's National Centre for Disaster Protection raised the alert level for the volcano to it's third highest on a seven-step scale.<br/> <br />Some local residents say they are scared of a possible erruption but don't have the money to move away.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RESIDENT OF SANTIAGO XALIZINTLA, MAGDALENO CHALCHI, SAYING:<br/> <br />"It frightens us, but where shall we go? To go to the city costs money. Here we live in fear but we're holding on."<br/> <br />"Popo," as the volcano is commonly known, has spat out mile-high clouds of ash and smoke several times this year.<br/> <br />The last major eruption was in the year 2000, causing over 40,000 people to flee their homes.<br/> <br />Sarah Sheffer, Reuters
