A volcano near the town of Chaiten, Chile ejected ash and smoke on Thursday, causing the majority of the town to evacuate. Only 45 of the 4,500 residents of Chaiten chose to remain. A layer of ash now covers houses, trees, cars, and streets, giving the place the look of a ghost town. The town of Chaiten is just 750 miles south of the capital, Santiago. During Thursday's eruption the volcano released large columns of smoke that reached an altitude of 12 miles, the governments' emergency bureau reported. Prevailing winds also drove the smoke and ash to other population centers in the region, across the Andes and into Argentina where two airlines had to suspend flights due to poor visibility. Most of Chaiten's inhabitants were relocated to the close by cities of Puerto Montt and Castro. " This has been a historic catastrophe for us, but we will rebuild from the ashes." said Chaiten mayor Jose Fritis. Yes I'm sure that Al Gore is on his way even now, with a giant S emblazoned on his chest, and with the power of the earth spirit Gaia he'll make everything lush and green for the embattled citizens of Chaiten.
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