When fire first broke out, nobody could imagine the horror that would unfold.

Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano rumbled to life again this week, belching out towering clouds of ash that forced 11 villages to cancel school sessions.

The residents weren't the only ones keeping a close eye on the towering peak. Every time there is a sigh, tic or heave in Popocatepetl, there are dozens of scientists, a network of sensors and cameras, and a roomful of powerful equipment watching its every move.

The 5,426-metre volcano, known affectionately as "El Popo," has been spewing toxic fumes, ash and lumps of incandescent rock persistently for almost 30 years, since it awakened from a long slumber in 1994.

READ MORE: Police defend handling of case after 95-year-old Tasered

The volcano is 72 kilometres southeast of Mexico City, but looms much closer to the eastern fringes of the metropolitan area of 22 million people.

The city also faces threats from earthquakes and sinking soil, but the volcano is the most visible potential danger — and the most closely watched.

A severe eruption could cut off air traffic, or smother the city in clouds of choking ash.

Ringed around its summit are six cameras, a thermal imaging device and 12 seismological monitoring stations that operate 24 hours a day, all reporting back to an equipment-filled command centre in Mexico City.

A total of 13 scientists from a multidisciplinary team take turns staffing the command centre around the clock.

Being able to warn of an impending ash cloud is key, because people can take precautions.

Unlike earthquakes, warning times can be longer for the volcano and in general the peak is more predictable.

On a recent day, researcher Paulino Alonso made the rounds, checking the readings at the command centre run by Mexico's National Disaster Prevention Center, known by its initials as Cenapred.

READ MORE: Man charged after deadly ute and quad bike crash in NSW

It is a complex task that involves seismographs that measure the volcano's internal trembling, which could indicate hot rock and gas moving up the vents in the peak.

Monitoring gases in nearby springs and at the peak — and wind patterns that help determine where the ash could be blown — also play a role.

The forces inside are so great that they can temporarily deform the peak, so cameras and sensors must monitor the very shape of the volcano.

How do you explain all of this to 25 million non-experts living within a 100-kilometre radius who have grown so used to living near the volcano?

Authorities came up with the simple idea of a volcano "stoplight" with three colours: green for safety, yellow for alert and red for danger.

For most of the years since the stoplight was introduced, it has been stuck at some stage of "yellow." The mountain sometimes quiets down, but not for long.

It seldom shoots up molten lava: instead, it's more the "explosive" type, showering out hot rocks that tumble down its flanks and emitting bursts of gas and ash.

READ MORE: Two questioned over fatal stabbing of Melbourne teenager

The centre also has monitors in other states; Mexico is a country all too familiar with natural disasters.

For example, Mexico's earthquake early alert system is also based at the command centre.

Because the city's soil is so soft — it was built on a former lake bed — a quake hundreds of kilometres away on the Pacific coast can cause huge destruction in the capital, as happened in 1985 and 2017.

A system of seismic monitors along the coast sends messages that race faster than the quake's shock waves.

Once the sirens start blaring, it can give Mexico City residents up to half a minute to get to safety, usually on the streets outside.

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.

National’s education spokesperson tries to find out if Act leader covets same job as her

New Zealand pastor Owen Pomana has been running the Dnipro house for around three months.

One diner fled with a child in her arms as two people were punched, kicked and stomped on.

Police have seized 200 litres of alcohol from the boot of a car in the Northern Territory, under suspicions that it would be delivered to a "dry" remote Indigenous community.

Police found 40 five-litre casks of wine in the back of a Holden Statesman, which was intercepted yesterday on the Stuart Highway, south of Alice Springs.

"There was sufficient grounds to suggest the wine was destined for supply into remote communities and was subsequently seized for destruction," police said in a statement.

READ MORE: Two questioned over fatal stabbing of Melbourne teenager

According to police, each five-litre cask can sell on the black market for upwards of $100.

Under alcohol restrictions introduced by the Northern Territory government earlier this year in an attempt to address spiralling crime rates in Alice Springs, remote communities are dry.

This means it is against the law to bring in, possess, consume, sell or supply alcohol in these areas, although it is possible for the community to opt out of the restrictions.

"The secondary supply of alcohol into our vulnerable communities was also a focus and I commend the officers involved in the seizure from yesterday," Superintendent Peter Malley said.

READ MORE: Police defend handling of case after 95-year-old Tasered

"Alcohol remains a catalyst for the high rates of domestic violence-related harm and antisocial behaviour we have been seeing across the NT."

The alcohol was seized and destroyed by NT Police.

The driver has not been charged yet, but police say they expect he will be issued an NTA (notice to appear in court) for liquor offences. 

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.

Solo sailor got into difficulties off McLeod Bay around noon on Saturday.

When Pete started building his tiny home he had no idea he was doing anything illegal.

A video is circulating online showing a toddler using a vape.

Hyundai Motor America and Kia America said on Friday they have reached a settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit prompted by a surge in vehicle thefts that was sparked in part due to videos on social media platforms including TikTok.

The settlement could be valued at $300 million ($USD200 million) and covers about 9 million 2011-2022 model-year Hyundai and Kia vehicles in the US, the companies said.

The cars are not equipped with push-button ignitions and immobilising anti-theft devices.

READ MORE: Two dead after caravan fire on property near Brisbane

That has allowed thieves to easily steal them using just a screwdriver and a USB cord, creating a recent rash of auto thefts across the country.

The settlement will provide cash compensation to customers who suffered theft-related losses or damage not covered by insurance — as well as reimbursement for insurance deductibles, increased insurance premiums and other losses, Kia and Hyundai said.

A software upgrade will also be provided to eligible owners.

READ MORE: Bunnings to trial four day work week for thousands of employees

For customers with vehicles that cannot accommodate the software upgrade, the agreement will provide a reimbursement of up to $450 for anti-theft devices.

Kia and Hyundai have also given impacted customers tens of thousands of free steering wheel locks through local law enforcement and direct shipments, the companies said.

The total settlement amount will depend on how many customers participate.

"Hyundai and Kia failed to sell cars equipped with fundamental anti-theft features, and that was not a victimless act," attorney Elizabeth A. Fegan of Fegan Scott, one of the law firms representing the plaintiffs, said in a statement.

"We are pleased with the settlement reached and its immediate ability to hinder thieves, as well as compensate victims of thefts that have already occurred."

The proposed settlement is expected to be reviewed in court for preliminary approval in July.

READ MORE: Man charged after deadly ute and quad bike crash in NSW

The wave of Hyundai and Kia thefts began in 2021 and spread nationally, with a spike last summer, fueled by instructional videos posted on TikTok and other social media sites.

Some police departments report continued thefts despite the automakers' unveiling of anti-theft software nearly three months ago.

Both Jason Erb, Hyundai Motor North America's chief legal officer, and John Yoon, Kia America's chief legal officer, stressed that the companies are committed to customer safety.

"We appreciate the opportunity to provide additional support for our owners who have been impacted by increasing and persistent criminal activity targeting our vehicles," Erb said.

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.