The eruption site on Reykjanes is open to visitors today and firefighters have managed to subdue the wildfires that have been raging at the site. Hiking routes to the eruption were closed yesterday evening due to poor visibility. The eruption began on July 10, the third volcanic eruption in the same area of Reykjanes in three years.
No serious incidents were reported from the eruption site last night, though some exhausted hikers needed help returning from the site. The hike is around 20 km round trip across uneven terrain and requires appropriate preparation and gear.
Wildfires no longer a threat
The eruption had set off wildfires in the moss surrounding the site, but firefighting efforts have proven successful in subduing them, Einar Sveinn Jónsson, Chief of the Grindavík Fire Department, told RÚV. “If there is any more fire, then it’s a very small amount that we can absolutely handle,” he stated. The wildfires on the Reykjanes peninsula have been the largest-ever since records began, according to a recent report by the Icelandic Institute of Natural History.
Rangers needed
The Environment Agency has received 29 applications from would-be rangers interesting in supervising the eruption site. The application deadline is tomorrow, Friday, and the Environment Agency encourages those with ranger certification to apply. Staffing the required positions may prove challenging as summer is the high season for tourism, and most certified rangers have already been stationed elsewhere in the country.
Read more about how to access the 2023 Reykjanes eruption.
