LIVE – Volcano in Iceland: Eruption hits town of Grindavik, houses go up in flames

Following the announcement of a new outbreak, the Icelandic Civil Defense decided to “urgently” raise the danger level in the area.

On social network X, the Icelandic president shared an aerial view of the explosion, confirming that “measures are being taken to protect the infrastructure.”

In its latest weather report, the IMO said the current eruption “remained at the same strength for about an hour”. A new fissure flowing lava reached Grindavik, “reactivating existing faults and fractures and possibly forming new fractures”, vented overnight.

Following the new outbreak in Iceland, President Gudni Johansson will speak at 8pm local time, or 9pm in Paris, public broadcaster RUV said. Prior to this speech, the Ministerial Coordination Committee meets at 5pm in Iceland or 6pm in Paris.

According to reports from the town of Grindavik, the first house to catch fire from the lava flow was uninhabited. In a house badly damaged by the November earthquake, the owner couple lived elsewhere.

Icelandic media RUV has installed a webcam to follow the progress of the new lava flow.

From a new fissure that appeared at midday, lava flowed, reaching Grindavik, photographed below. Two houses caught fire in the stream.

Although dams have been built to protect the town, the flows continue towards Grindavik. “We never know when it will stop or if it will save the city,” says a French guide at the site. A report can be found in the article below.

This is Iceland's fifth volcanic eruption in nearly three years. The former was located forty kilometers southwest of the capital Reykjavík in the same area on the evening of December 18. For volcanologists, these numerous eruptions are a sign of renewed volcanic activity in the region.

In a message on the social media site, the president added, “The flights will not be disrupted.”

According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), the eruption began around 8am north of Grindavik. The first crack formed 450 meters from the town “on either side of the defenses that had begun to be built north of Grindavik”.

In the afternoon, the IMO announced, “A new fissure has opened just outside the city limits of Grindavik.” This reached Grindawick, causing both houses to burn. For Fannar Jónasson, the mayor of Grindavik, the new crack “creates a new situation” but “there is nothing we can do”, considering the situation to be alarming.

Icelandic media RUV released aerial photos of lava flows, including those reaching Grindavik.

An ongoing volcanic eruption in southwest Iceland has reached the port of Grindavik and two houses were engulfed in flames as the lava hit, according to surveillance footage broadcast by public television. Last night, a few dozen residents in Grindavik, who had been resettled at the end of December, were evacuated hours before the eruption began.