Volcanic eruption sparks devastating fires in Icelandic fishing village

A new volcanic eruption near the Icelandic fishing port of Grindavik triggers devastating fires, engulfing houses and prompting evacuations.

Houses were engulfed in flames as a new volcanic eruption unleashed smoke and lava near the Icelandic fishing port of Grindavik on Sunday. The eruption, the nation’s fifth in less than three years, occurred just weeks after the last one on Dec 18 in the same region, southwest of the capital Reykjavik.

Public television RUV broadcasted live images showing at least two houses on fire, with the blaze rapidly spreading from one dwelling to another. The eruption began at 8:00 am (GMT) when a crack opened in the ground about 450 meters (yards) from the town. A second crack emerged around midday on the town’s edge, engulfing homes in lava.

“In a little village like this one, we’re like a family, we all know each other as a family — it’s tragic seeing this,” said resident Sveinn Ari Gudjonsson, expressing the community’s anguish.

Iceland’s President Gudni Johannesson addressed the nation at 8:00 pm, assuring that no lives were in danger, but infrastructure might be at risk. Airline flights remained unaffected despite the volcanic activity.

The 4,000-strong population of Grindavik had been evacuated on Nov 11 as a precaution, following warnings of magma movement beneath the town. Seismic activity and large cracks in roads and buildings prompted the evacuation. Residents were allowed to return briefly after the Dec 18 eruption, with permanent returns authorized on Dec 23, though few chose to do so.

Late Saturday, authorities ordered an emergency evacuation by Monday due to increased seismic activity and its impact on existing cracks in the town. The evacuation follows the disappearance of a 51-year-old workman earlier in the week, who fell over 30 meters into a crack while repairing a residential garden. The search for him was halted due to dangerous conditions.

Authorities are closely monitoring the Svartsengi geothermal plant, which supplies electricity and water to the 30,000 residents of the Reykjanes peninsula. The plant is at risk due to the intensifying seismic activity, prompting officials to accelerate evacuation orders.

The Reykjanes peninsula had not experienced an eruption for eight centuries until fresh eruptions occurred in Aug 2022, and July and Dec 2023. Volcanologists suggest this marks the beginning of a new era of volcanic activity in the region. Although volcanic activity was declared to have stopped four days after the December 18 eruption, authorities remained vigilant due to the possibility of underground lava flow.

Source: AFP