In this Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, file photo, the Mayon volcano spews ash as it erupts behind Legazpi city, Albay province, southeast of Manila, Philippines.
In this Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, file photo, the Mayon volcano spews ash as it erupts behind Legazpi city, Albay province, southeast of Manila, Philippines.
Photo: Bullit Marquez, AP
In this Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, file photo, pyroclastic materials cascade down the slopes of the Mayon volcano as it erupts behind Legazpi city, Albay province, around 340 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Manila, Philippines. less
In this Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, file photo, pyroclastic materials cascade down the slopes of the Mayon volcano as it erupts behind Legazpi city, Albay province, around 340 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of ... more
Photo: Bullit Marquez, AP
In this Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, file photo, the Mayon volcano erupts for the second straight day outside Legazpi city, Albay province, southeast of Manila, Philippines.
In this Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, file photo, the Mayon volcano erupts for the second straight day outside Legazpi city, Albay province, southeast of Manila, Philippines.
Photo: Bullit Marquez, AP
In this Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018, file photo, a fisherman unloads gear during a mild eruption of the Mayon volcano at sunrise, outside Legazpi city, Albay province, roughly 340 kilometers (200 miles), southeast of Manila, Philippines. less
In this Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018, file photo, a fisherman unloads gear during a mild eruption of the Mayon volcano at sunrise, outside Legazpi city, Albay province, roughly 340 kilometers (200 miles), southeast ... more
Photo: Bullit Marquez, AP
In this Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018, file photo, the Mayon volcano spews red-hot lava in another eruption as seen from Legazpi city, Albay province, around 340 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Manila, Philippines. less
In this Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018, file photo, the Mayon volcano spews red-hot lava in another eruption as seen from Legazpi city, Albay province, around 340 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Manila, ... more
Photo: Bullit Marquez, AP
In this Jan. 25, 2018, file photo, farmers tend to their crops during a mild eruption of the Mayon volcano at sunrise outside Legazpi city, Albay province, roughly 340 kilometers (200 miles), southeast of Manila, Philippines. less
In this Jan. 25, 2018, file photo, farmers tend to their crops during a mild eruption of the Mayon volcano at sunrise outside Legazpi city, Albay province, roughly 340 kilometers (200 miles), southeast of ... more
Photo: Bullit Marquez, AP
In this Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018, file photo, the Mayon volcano spews molten lava during its sporadic eruption early as seen from a village in Legazpi city, Albay province, around 340 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Manila, Philippines. less
In this Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018, file photo, the Mayon volcano spews molten lava during its sporadic eruption early as seen from a village in Legazpi city, Albay province, around 340 kilometers (200 miles) ... more
Photo: Bullit Marquez, AP
In this Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018, file photo, a rafter of turkeys searches for food amidst an erupting Mayon volcano as seen from Legazpi city, Albay province, around 340 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Manila, Philippines. less
In this Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018, file photo, a rafter of turkeys searches for food amidst an erupting Mayon volcano as seen from Legazpi city, Albay province, around 340 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of ... more
Photo: Bullit Marquez, AP
In this Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, file photo, the Mayon volcano spews red-hot lava in another eruption as seen from Legazpi city, Albay province, roughly 200 miles (340 kilometers) southeast of Manila, Philippines. less
In this Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, file photo, the Mayon volcano spews red-hot lava in another eruption as seen from Legazpi city, Albay province, roughly 200 miles (340 kilometers) southeast of Manila, ... more
Photo: Bullit Marquez, AP
In this Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018, file photo, a public transport driver pauses to look at the erupting Mayon volcano behind a village in Legazpi city, Albay province, around 340 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Manila, Philippines. less
In this Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018, file photo, a public transport driver pauses to look at the erupting Mayon volcano behind a village in Legazpi city, Albay province, around 340 kilometers (200 miles) southeast ... more
Photo: Bullit Marquez, AP
In this Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018, file photo, the Mayon volcano continues to erupt as the sun sets behind Legazpi city, in Albay province, roughly 340 kilometers, (200 miles) southeast of Manila, Philippines.
In this Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018, file photo, the Mayon volcano continues to erupt as the sun sets behind Legazpi city, in Albay province, roughly 340 kilometers, (200 miles) southeast of Manila, Philippines.
Photo: Bullit Marquez, AP
In this Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018, file photo, residents watch as Mayon volcano erupts anew as seen from Legazpi city, Albay province, around 340 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Manila, Philippines.
In this Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018, file photo, residents watch as Mayon volcano erupts anew as seen from Legazpi city, Albay province, around 340 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Manila, Philippines.
Photo: Bullit Marquez, AP
In this Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, file photo, the Mayon volcano spews red-hot lava in another eruption as seen from Legazpi city, Albay province, roughly 200 miles (340 kilometers) southeast of Manila, Philippines. less
In this Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, file photo, the Mayon volcano spews red-hot lava in another eruption as seen from Legazpi city, Albay province, roughly 200 miles (340 kilometers) southeast of Manila, ... more
Photo: Bullit Marquez, AP
In this Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018, file photo, the Mayon volcano spews molten lava during its sporadic eruption in the early morning outside Legazpi city, Albay province, around 340 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Manila, Philippines. less
In this Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018, file photo, the Mayon volcano spews molten lava during its sporadic eruption in the early morning outside Legazpi city, Albay province, around 340 kilometers (200 miles) ... more
Photo: Bullit Marquez, AP
In this Thursday, Jan. 26, 2018, file photo, the Mayon volcano erupts anew at sunset in Albay province around 200 miles (340 kilometers) southeast of Manila, Philippines.
In this Thursday, Jan. 26, 2018, file photo, the Mayon volcano erupts anew at sunset in Albay province around 200 miles (340 kilometers) southeast of Manila, Philippines.
Photo: Bullit Marquez, AP
AP photographer Bullit Marquez has been chronicling in dazzling imagery the eruption of one of Asia's most picturesque volcanoes, Mount Mayon, which has displaced more than 78,000 villagers in the northeastern Philippines. For nearly two weeks, Mayon — famous for its near-perfect cone shape — has increasingly been gushing red-hot lava fountains, belching huge columns of ash and molten rocks into the sky and plunging outlying villages and cities in darkness due to the falling ash.
Entire villages within an 8-kilometer (5-mile) danger zone have been abandoned by residents, but police and army troops are stopping villagers worried about their homes and farm animals and keeping tourists from venturing closer to photograph what some call a "beautiful disaster."
Many residents are accustomed to Mayon's fury and go about their lives normally. Shopping malls, coffee shops and restaurants in the provincial capital, Legazpi city, buzzed day and night. Marquez photographed a farmer gingerly tending to flowers in Camalig town as two rainbows appeared in the backdrop of the cloud-shrouded volcano.