Blue Lagoon Spa and Nearby Town Evacuated Over Iceland Volcano Eruptions

A fresh volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula overnight spread with a second fissure opening up on Wednesday, with the famous blue Lagoon spa and local settlements evacuated by police.

A second, longer fissure opened in the ground near Grindavík on the Reykjanes Peninsula, some 25 miles south-west from the Icelandic capital Reykjavík opened on Wednesday. Measuring approximately 1.5 miles in length, reports Fréttastofa RÚV, the Icelandic national broadcaster’s news service, the second is considerably larger than the 1/3 mile long first fissure that opened last night and prompted a series of evacuations of tourists and locals.

The world-famous Blue Lagoon spa and the town of Grindavík were evacuated overnight. Police said, RÚV states, that the civil protection alert was activated and the town evacuation took an hour and a half and was completed despite the protests of some locals who questioned the utility of being decanted from their homes. As things stand, the lava is flowing to the south-east, away from infrastructure and buildings.

Nevertheless, a warning for noxious gases was issued and a school was evacuated, with pupils ordered home and to keep their windows shut.

In all, the Icelandic government called it a “relatively small eruption”. Kristín Jónsdóttir of the Icelandic Meteorological Office said: “we have not seen any major changes in the lava flow – so it would be very surprising if there were any major changes… It would be very surprising if there were any dramatic change or increase in activity.”

The eruption is the ninth in the area since 2021, to which point the area had been free of volcanic activity for 800 years. The eruptions of 2023-24 were more destructive as they occurred closer to places of human habitation.

As reported, Grindavik was evacuated then too and 100 families were made homeless. A month later, a fleet of earth movers were rushed into action to throw up enormous earthworks in a bid to redirect the lava flow and save roads and properties.