The evacuation of the village of Lloa began after Ecuador's main geological group said there was a 90% chance that the Guagua Pichincha volcano, 7.5 miles (12 km) from Quito, would blow.

Many residents are reluctant to leave their homes

About 2,000 villagers have left for the capital, but another 500 residents, mostly farmers, have stayed behind to look after their livestock.

"I am not going to abandon my dear animals and my few belongings," one woman said.

Emergency services said those who remained would have to leave soon.

Ash cloud

"We hope we won't have to make them leave. We're appealing to people's better judgment," said Marco Paredes, an army official overseeing the evacuation.

The volcano has been sending a cloud of ash and vapour more than three kilometres into the air since August.

The alert status for the volcano went from yellow to orange on Monday, indicating that the volcano could erupt in days or weeks.

In Quito, schools have been closed indefinitely, and emergency services are on high alert ahead of further evacuations.

Minor damage

Mayor Roque Sevilla sought to reassure Quito's 1.2m inhabitants.

"There will be no catastrophe," he said. "Quito will not be directly affected by the eruption."

The mayor said that at the most "we will see the city covered with ashes and nothing more." He acknowledged this could close the international airport.

He also advised people with asthma and lung ailments to leave the city.

"If there is an eruption, it would be a natural event not seen in the last 340 years. That's why everybody is so worried," Mr Sevilla added.

Guagua Pichincha last exploded in 1660, raining ash and rock on Quito but not spilling any lava.