Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano erupted around 2:30 a.m. local time Sunday, April 17, 2016, blanketing the scenic city of Puebla with ash, smoke, and lava runoff.

Volcanic ash rose almost two miles above Popocatelpetl's crater, hurling incandescent lava fragment as far as a mile away while leaving cars immobile.

Hermanos Serdan International Airport, the city's lone airport, shut down operations at about 7 a.m. while crews brushed ash build-up off airplanes and runways; flights were expected to resume Monday afternoon.

Mexican officials placed the area under yellow alert and urged residents to wear masks and avoid inhaling the soot in fear of developing respiratory problems, as Interior Ministry's National Coordinator Luis Felipe Puente outlined throughout the day Monday.

"It is important that you respect the 12-kilometer safety radius, due to danger of incandescent fragments being thrown," Puente posted to Twitter. Follow-up tweets warned of health risks, safety warnings, and the government's efforts in cleaning up after Popocatepetl, Mexico's most active volcano.

Located about 80 miles from Mexico City, Puebla's last significant burst came in 1994, when the entire Puebla valley was covered in ash. For that reason, town residents and about 25 million people living within 62 miles of the impact area may not have been caught off-guard on Sunday.

Popocatepetl laid dormant for nearly 500 years before it becoming active in 1991; smoke consistently billows from the crater. A series of rumblings and small eruptions occurred over the last few months - the most recent coming just 15 days ago - but none had similar reach of 7 ½ miles.

Puebla Online reports that at least a half-dozen communities reaching into nearby Veracruz were affected. Through a statement, the Secretary of Civil Protection suggested covering patios, rooftops, and exposed water containers to avoid contamination. He warned residents to continually remove accumulation ash on rooftops to avoid collapses caused by excess weight.

Watch video of "El Popo's" explosion below.