Villarrica Rucapillán Volcano Eruption, Araucania Region, Andes, Chile

Villarrica is one of Chile's most active volcanoes; eruptions have been recorded since the conquest of Chile and the founding of the city of Villarrica in 1552. There are uncertainties in the eruptive record in the first half of the 17th century due to the Mapuche and Huilliche uprising which lead to the surrender or abandonment of Spanish settlements during the destruction of the Seven Cities. The earliest recorded eruption occurred in 1558, followed by at least 65 others with assumed Volcanic Explosivity Indexes of 1-3.
• 1964 eruption
In the two last weeks of February 1964 Villarrica produced small, violent lava effusions and tremors. On 1 March, at 2:45 am, it begun a strombolian eruption, and residents of Coñaripe, a wood-logging town, fled to the surrounding hills. Melting snow and ice from the Pichillancahue-Turbio Glacier combined with heavy rainfall to produce several lahars. Coñaripe, on the north-western shores of Calafquén Lake, had about half of its buildings destroyed, necessitating reconstruction further east.