The wizened yellow winter grass on farmers fields ignited and caused a brush fire in the Mýrar area yesterday.
Morgunbladid reports that fires raged all day yesterday. Altogether, twelve farms have been affected.
According to Morgunbladid, the fire was started by a burning cigarette close to the road to Snæfellsnes which runs through Mýrar.
“The smoke was pitch-black and the sun looked like a red fireball,” said Unnsteinn Jóhannsson of Laxárholt to Morgunbladid and added “I have never seen anything like it.”
According to Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, RÚV, the fire burned over approximately 50 square kilometers of land. Firefighters were unable to contain the spread of the brush fire, and concentrated on protecting buildings. In places, the blaze reached up to 3 meters high said RÚV.
Brush fires were still raging in Mýrar this morning according to reports by RÚV.
