A plume of smoke and ashes rises from the Llaima volcano in Chile's southern Conguillio National Park (File photo - 7 Feb 2008)

 The Llaima volcano in southern Chile has erupted for the first time in months, forcing the evacuation of about a dozen people from nearby areas.  Authorities, however, say populated areas are not immediately threatened.

The volcano, which is one of Chile's most active, began erupting Tuesday.  The eruption sent a stream of lava creeping down the flanks of the 3,120-meter-high mountain. 

Llaima is located about 700 kilometers south of the capital, Santiago.  It last erupted in January, spewing ash and molten lava. 

Two months ago, another volcano, the Chaiten, erupted after being dormant for thousands of years.  The eruption forced the evacuation of more than four thousand people from the nearby town of the same name.   

Winds also blew the volcanic ash into Argentina, grounding airline flights and forcing some schools to close. 

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.