One of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines went off Wednesday, sending ash miles into the air and thousands of residents into shelters.

Several smaller eruptions were reported at Mount Mayon in the days before the Wednesday explosion, and experts feared a major eruption was imminent. Officials ordered more than 74,000 residents who live around the volcano to evacuate their homes; despite the serious nature of the situation, authorities said many evacuees attempted to return home.

(MORE: Latest Updates on the Mount Mayon Eruption)

No deaths or injuries have been reported in the wake of the eruption, but officials warn additional explosions could occur in the coming days. Supplies have been sent to the shelters, but those are only expected to last a few weeks, and they'll need to be replenished if the eruptions last through mid-February and evacuation orders aren't lifted by then.

We will continue to update the gallery at the top of this page with the latest images from the evacuation zone, so please check back frequently.