Small eruptions by Ecuador’s Cotopaxi Volcano have prompted authorities to order evacuations in several villages in the area.

“As a precautionary measure, a total of 400 people have been evacuated,” President Rafael Correat said on Saturday in a public announcement just before declaring a state of emergency.

The residents of towns and river settlements in Cotopaxi Province, some 45 kilometers south of the capital, Quito, have been ordered to move away.

“The situation developing at Cotopaxi is a serious threat that has led the government to take urgent special measures to confront this eruptive process,” said Public Safety chief Cesar Navas.

The Environment Ministry has closed the areas near the volcano to tourists, and 15 climbers, who were preparing to scale the mountain, were forced to go home on Friday. The mountain is a popular climbing site for tourists.

The snow-covered 5,897-meter (19,350-feet) volcano is considered a big threat to the region because it is close to populated areas and towns.

Cotopaxi is one of the eight active volcanoes in Ecuador, which is in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, which makes it prone to volcanic activity.