<p>Reykjavik: A volcano that erupted in southwest Iceland for the second time in less than a month, setting fire to several houses in a fishing town, appeared to be less active early on Monday.</p><p>"A black day" read the front page headline of Icelandic daily <em>Morgunbladid</em> across an image of bright-orange lava fountains and houses burning in the town of Grindavik, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) south-west of the capital Reykjavik.</p>.<p>Molten lava flows reached the outskirts of Grindavik around noon on Sunday, setting three houses alight, although the town was evacuated earlier and there was no immediate danger to people.</p><p>It was the second eruption on the peninsula of Reykjanes in four weeks and the fifth since 2021.</p><p>Live video footage on Monday showed glimpses of orange lava still flowing to the surface but at smaller volumes, and further away from the town.</p><p>Geologists on Sunday said magma corridors were believed to be flowing underneath the abandoned town, however, posing continued risk.</p>.<p>"Unfortunately (the lava) went a little bit more south than we had hoped for," the head of Iceland's Civil Protection and Emergency Management, Vidir Reynisson, told a press conference late on Sunday.</p><p>Nevertheless, the defensive barriers built to the north of Grindavik had helped divert the flows of lava to the west, away from the town, Reynisson said.</p><p>Residents of Grindavik, a town of some 4,000 people before it was evacuated in November, said it was difficult to watch televised images of the fires.</p>.<p>"This is serious, it's basically as bad as it can possibly get. Although it might get even worse, who knows," evacuated resident Jon Gauti Dagbjartsson told <em>Reuters</em> late on Sunday.</p><p>"I actually live in the house that I was born in and it's a tough thought to think that this town might be over, and I would have to start all over somewhere else. But if that's the case, then that's exactly what we'll do," he said.</p>.<p>The Icelandic government will meet on Monday to decide on support for the people of Grindavik.</p><p>"We need to put a lot of extra efforts into finding more housing, suitable housing," Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir said.</p><p>Located between the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates, among the largest on the planet, Iceland is a seismic and volcanic hot spot as the two plates move in opposite directions. </p>
<p>Reykjavik: A volcano that erupted in southwest Iceland for the second time in less than a month, setting fire to several houses in a fishing town, appeared to be less active early on Monday.</p><p>"A black day" read the front page headline of Icelandic daily <em>Morgunbladid</em> across an image of bright-orange lava fountains and houses burning in the town of Grindavik, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) south-west of the capital Reykjavik.</p>.<p>Molten lava flows reached the outskirts of Grindavik around noon on Sunday, setting three houses alight, although the town was evacuated earlier and there was no immediate danger to people.</p><p>It was the second eruption on the peninsula of Reykjanes in four weeks and the fifth since 2021.</p><p>Live video footage on Monday showed glimpses of orange lava still flowing to the surface but at smaller volumes, and further away from the town.</p><p>Geologists on Sunday said magma corridors were believed to be flowing underneath the abandoned town, however, posing continued risk.</p>.<p>"Unfortunately (the lava) went a little bit more south than we had hoped for," the head of Iceland's Civil Protection and Emergency Management, Vidir Reynisson, told a press conference late on Sunday.</p><p>Nevertheless, the defensive barriers built to the north of Grindavik had helped divert the flows of lava to the west, away from the town, Reynisson said.</p><p>Residents of Grindavik, a town of some 4,000 people before it was evacuated in November, said it was difficult to watch televised images of the fires.</p>.<p>"This is serious, it's basically as bad as it can possibly get. Although it might get even worse, who knows," evacuated resident Jon Gauti Dagbjartsson told <em>Reuters</em> late on Sunday.</p><p>"I actually live in the house that I was born in and it's a tough thought to think that this town might be over, and I would have to start all over somewhere else. But if that's the case, then that's exactly what we'll do," he said.</p>.<p>The Icelandic government will meet on Monday to decide on support for the people of Grindavik.</p><p>"We need to put a lot of extra efforts into finding more housing, suitable housing," Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir said.</p><p>Located between the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates, among the largest on the planet, Iceland is a seismic and volcanic hot spot as the two plates move in opposite directions. </p>