SANTIAGO, Chile – Lava burst from the Llaima volcano in southern Chile on Tuesday, but officials said populated areas are not immediately threatened.

A thin red stream of lava crept down the flanks of the 9,400-foot (3,120-meter) volcano before dawn.

Vulcanologist Juan Cayupi of the government's Emergency Bureau said officials were monitoring the situation to determine if they will need to evacuate small villages in the sparsely populated region 650 kilometers (370 miles) south of Santiago.

Llaima is one of Chile's most-active volcanos. It erupted for about two weeks in January, forcing hundreds of tourists to evacuate from Conguillio National Park but causing no damage.

The long-dormant Chaiten volcano further south erupted in May, forcing the evacuation of some 4,500 people from the nearby town of Chaiten, which has since been largely destroyed by ash and by water from a river partially blocked by volcanic debris.