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fter a brief decline in activity, Mount Raung, located on the border between Banyuwangi, Bondowoso and Jember regencies in East Java, has again shown increased signs of activity, which could potentially upgrade the volcano'€™s alert status to the highest level.

On Friday, Mt. Raung observation station in Songgon district, Banyuwangi, reported that the 3,332-meter-high volcano had produced intensive tremors over the past 24 hours.

'€œMt. Raung has been emitting volcanic tremors for the past 24 hours at amplitudes of between 23 and 32 millimeters. However, the tremors were dominated by 26 millimeter amplitudes,'€ station officer Burhan Alethea said as quoted by Antara news agency on Friday.

Burhan also said that fire on the peak of the volcano could be seen clearly from the station.

'€œThis morning, grayish sulfurous gases were also seen flying to the southeast from the peak of Mt. Raung as high as between 200 and 300 meters,'€ he said, adding that the volcano'€™s rumble could be heard every 30 minutes an hour from the station.

On Monday, the Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center (PVMBG) raised Mt. Raung'€™s alert status from Level 2 to Level 3 after it discharged molten lava and spewed volcanic ash on Sunday and Monday. Volcano alerts range from Level 1 to Level 4.

On Wednesday, seismographic data from the observation post recorded vibration widths of between 17 and 22 millimeters. Burhan said the increasing activity of the volcano could lead to an increase in the status of the volcano.

'€œWhen the frequency of tremors and visual observation rise, the status will likely be increased to Level 4, but so far it remains at Level 3,'€ he said.

Mt. Raung previously erupted in February, but volcanic materials were not emitted.

In preparation, East Java Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Sudarmawan said 33 evacuation points were in place across the three regencies to anticipate a Mt. Raung eruption.

'€œFrom the pattern of eruption that took place in 2012, the worst-hit area could be Banyuwangi. We are still coordinating [with local authorities] on the contingency plan,'€ Sudarmawan recently told The Jakarta Post.

Banyuwangi regency administration spokesman Djuang Pribadi said the local administration had prepared several evacuation points and public kitchens in Songgon district in anticipation of possible eruptions.

Bondowoso BPBD operational head Kukuh Triyatmoko, meanwhile, said two districts in Bondowoso lie within Mt. Raung'€™s potentially disaster-prone area, with 2,088 residents needing evacuation in the event of an eruption.

Air navigation authorities have also warned flights to and from Surabaya, the province'€™s capital city, and Denpasar, Bali, against flying over Mt. Raung.