A volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted on Tuesday, endangering the town of Grindavik and prompting the closure of the popular Blue Lagoon tourist destination. It was the 11th eruption to shake the country’s Reykjanes Peninsula since 2021 as Iceland faces a period of intense geological activity.
Aerial video released by the authorities showed lava snaking along the ground as white clouds billowed into the air after the eruption, which started at 9:45 a.m.
Grindavik, a small fishing village about 25 miles southwest of the capital, Reykjavik, has been threatened by eight of the 11 eruptions in recent years. It has also been repeatedly evacuated, including on Tuesday, the town’s fire chief, Einar Jonsson, said in an interview.
Emergency alarms blared in the town, and officials went door to door to about 40 houses that were registered as occupied, according to Mr. Jonsson. He said that although several residents initially resisted, officials had declared the town empty of civilians by noon.
A fissure had grown to about three-quarters of a mile long by about 12:30 p.m., Iceland’s meteorological office said. It appeared to be growing southward, the office said, and Grindavik was in its path.
Much remains uncertain.
Magnus Gudmundsson, a geophysicist, said he had seen fountains of lava spewing high into the area as he flew over the fissure on Tuesday morning, although he said that by midday it seemed that lava would not reach Grindavik. “Time can only tell,” he said.
Iceland has tried to use infrastructure to protect the town: Since 2023, the government has built a series of protective barriers, made from boulders the size of small cars, to try to redirect lava away from Grindavik and a nearby geothermal power station.
But barriers can do only so much. A photo shared by the meteorological office showed the fissure reaching through the barriers like a train breaking through a wall. By midmorning, it said, another fissure had opened between the barriers and the town.
For some residents, the disruptions were all too familiar.
Thormar Omarsson, who owns a pizzeria in the area, said he was about to drive to work on Tuesday when he heard that an eruption was predicted. His business is in the center of Grindavik, so he was unable to open it on Tuesday.
He used to live in Grindavik but sold his house in August after repeated evacuations. He now lives in nearby Keflavik, close to the country’s main international airport, which said that flights had not been affected by the eruption.
“We have fridges full of food,” Mr. Omarsson said, fretting about his pizzeria. “I hope we can reopen soon.”
