Now That is a hot shot.
Molten lava flowed from the mouth of the Fagradalsfjall volcano in southwest Iceland on Friday, when it erupted after being asleep for 6,000 years. And the mind-boggling footage resulting from natural phenomena is almost too hot to handle.
Aerial photographer Bjorn Steinbekk flew his drone over the spurt of fire over the weekend, capturing an impressive viral video of the lava as it descended the Fagradals mountain on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland.
The eruption, triggered after a series of earthquakes in the area, was the peninsula’s first volcanic explosion in 781 years, according to the Associated Press.
Photographer Muhammed Emin Kizilkaya took a two-hour hike to the volcano on Sunday for close-up photos of the expelled lava as its electric red glow illuminated Iceland’s gray sky.
“It was extremely hot! You could take five [meters] with that and it would be too much, ”Kizilkaya told Caters News about the fire.
“This is the most surreal, extraordinary and mind-blowing thing I have ever witnessed,” he added.
“I hit my face a few times to check if I was dreaming!”
The glow of the huge fire can be seen just outside the capital of Iceland, Reykjavík, which is about 20 miles away from the mountain.
Icelandic police advised residents near the area to stay home on Friday and to keep the windows closed to avoid exposure to the dangerous gas pollution caused by the eruption.
Volcanic gases, including sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen fluoride, pose a great potential danger to people, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office confirmed on Twitter that high levels of volcanic gases were measured near the eruption site. But, the authorities noted: “Gas pollution is not expected to cause much discomfort for people, except near the source of the eruption.”
Despite concerns about potentially dangerous emissions, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said the eruption was small and unlikely to cause damage to any structures or settlements nearby.