Last month the famed 17,992 feet high Mexican volcano known as 'Popo' or 'Smoking Mountain' started rumbling into life again throwing out ash streams and plumes of smoke.

And in the past few days, Mexico's National Centre for Disaster Prevention has declared it was now a level three warning on the centre's seven step scale. As the magma expulsions and explosions continue smoke is pouring out in mile high arcs and ash spewed in to the air.

Villagers in San Nicolas De Los Ranchos adapt to life in the shadow of 'Popo' which could go off at any time. Leon Analco a local farmer explains what to look for.

He said, "Sometimes we see it in the night but now you need to be cautious of and watch out if something happens, when it releases its fumes and fire. In any case you need to take note, you need to always take care at night."

While local students are scared, but are putting a brave face on it, as one young girl Karina Apanco explained.

"Grandparents do not want to leave (the town) because of their animals and they have more time here and are more accustomed (to the volcano) but in my case it scares me if something happens and we will need to go. My whole family is also scared but they say it has calmed down but I don't know if it still continues."

The volcano lies just 40 miles southeast of Mexico City and its 18 million residents. Its last major eruption took place in 2000, just one week shy of Christmas Day. Over 40,000 evacuees haphazardly fled their homes and choked highways heading out of the area.