Half of that city was destroyed in 2002 as the nearest of the two volcanoes, Mount Nyiragongo, erupted with large flows of lava.
Dieudonne Wafula, head of Goma’s Volcano Observatory, said significant increases in temperature have recently been recorded around Mount Nyiragongo accompanied by an unusually large cloud of ash.
Wafula told reporters that about 1.3 million people are threatened by the two volcanoes, including the inhabitants of Gisenyi, located across the Rwandan border.
Nyiragongo is listed as one of the eight most dangerous volcanoes in the world due to potential lava flows that can reach speeds of up to 24 mph.
During the 2002 eruption, about 100 people perished as lava flows up to 10 feet deep poured into Goma.
Residents of the area have also recently suffered from clashes between rebel and government forces, that forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes around Goma.
Relative calm has only returned over the past few months following the capture of rebel leader Laurent Knunda in late January.