Iceland volcano: Battle to save Grindavik after lava reaches village destroying homes

At least three homes have been set on fire in Grindavik as lava flowed into the town and the main road into the area has been cut off
Jacob Phillips15 January 2024

The battle is on to save the Icelandic town of Grindavik as lava torched three homes creating a “worst case scenario”.

A volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula erupted in the early hours of Sunday, spewing semi-molten rock towards the settlement in south-western Iceland for the second time in less than a month.

At least three homes have been set on fire in Grindavik as lava flowed into the town and the main road into the area has been cut off.

The eruption follows a series of earthquakes near the fishing town, the Icelandic Meteorological Office has said.

***BESTPIX*** ICELAND-VOLCANO
Billowing smoke and flowing lava are seen in this Icelandic Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management image taken on Sunday
AFP via Getty Images

The village of 3,800 people near Iceland's main international airport was evacuated on November 10 when the earthquakes led to cracks and openings in the earth between the town and Sylingarfell, a small mountain to the north.

Residents were forced to leave their homes for six weeks following the earthquakes and the eventual volcanic eruption before returning home on December 22.

The nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa - one of Iceland's biggest tourist attractions - also closed temporarily.

Iceland in recent weeks sought to build barriers of earth and rock to prevent lava from reaching Grindavik, but the latest eruption appeared to have penetrated the defences.

No one has been killed in the eruptions, but a workman is missing after reportedly falling into a crack opened by the volcano.

TOPSHOT-ICELAND-VOLCANO
Director of civil defence Vidir Reynisson said the 'worst case scenario' had happened when a second fissure opened up inside defence barriers
AFP via Getty Images

Director of civil defence, Vidir Reynisson, said the “worst case scenario” had happened when a second fissure opened up inside defence barriers.

He told a briefing that barriers had been built north of Grindavik before an eruption in December.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said the barriers had been breached in some places, allowing lava to reach the town which then set houses and buildings on fire.

Pumps could now be used to cool lava with seawater to help limit the damage to the town.

Work also continues on the construction of a defensive wall at Nesvegur.

Úlfar Lúðvíksson, police chief in South Iceland, told Icelandic broadcaster RÚV that the defensive wall that was built had been very successful.

Lava flows from a volcano in Grindavik
@bsteinbekk via REUTERS

The President of Iceland Guðni Th. Jóhannesson has said “saving lives must remain the priority” following the eruption.

He said in an address: “What we all hoped would not happen has come to pass. It has come to pass that lava is flowing into Grindavík, a thriving town where people have built their lives, engaged in fishing and other occupations and created a community in harmony with God and one another.

“We continue to hope for as good an outcome as possible, in the face of these tremendous forces of nature. 

“A few months ago the town was successfully evacuated after a frightening series of earthquakes. And now saving lives must remain the priority.”

Lava flows from a volcano in Grindavik
Several homes in the village have been destroyed by the encroaching lava flow
@bsteinbekk via REUTERS

Geophysicist Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson has said that the fissure closest to town and which claimed three homes, stopped erupting on Sunday night.

Iceland's civil protection agency on Sunday said it had raised its alert level to "emergency", the highest on a three-level scale, signalling an event had begun that could cause harm to people, communities, property or the environment.

Lying between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, two of the largest on the planet, Iceland is a seismic and volcanic hot spot as the two plates move in opposite directions.

In December, the country was on alert when it was feared that a fire caused by gas pollution could reach Reykjavik.

Iceland, which sits above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic, averages an eruption every four to five years.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in