GRINDAVIK, Iceland (AP) — A volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted Wednesday for the fifth time since December, spewing red streams of lava in the latest display of nature’s power and triggering the evacuation of the popular Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.
The eruption began in the early afternoon following a series of earthquakes north of Grindavik, a coastal town of 3,800 people that was largely evacuated in December when the volcano erupted.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office said lava was shooting about 50 meters (165 feet) into the sky from a fissure about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) long and flowing toward Grindavik.
Grindavik, which is about 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, has been threatened since a swarm of earthquakes in November forced an evacuation in advance of the the initial Dec. 18 eruption. A subsequent eruption overwhelmed some defensive walls and consumed several buildings.