The overall survival of the human race is always our top priority, whether it is our own, that of a stranger or a loved one, we have the built-in protective impulse. So when we are close to danger areas we are always very cautious of our surroundings. This protectiveness and caution about our surroundings can lead us to be afraid of taking risks and actually visit many places with dangers that would otherwise be beautiful. One of these avoided dangers is an active volcano. Whether you live near one or are a tourist, being near an active volcano is scary especially if you don't know how to protect yourself in case of an eruption. Luckily there are some general survival tips that everyone can follow. First you need to understand that there are other dangers that an eruption can cause besides the main one. Some of these are mudflows - earth and ash mixed with water coming down from the volcano at extreme speeds -, flash floods - if there is rain or rivers near the volcano -, forest fires - lava and magma can cause objects to catch fire flammable. If these objects are found in a forest, fires can devastate the wilderness and hot ash flows, also known as