Watch mesmerizing footage of lava flowing from Icelandic volcano Download

Drone footage captured lava flowing during a volcanic eruption on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula, on Thursday, August 22.

The video, filmed by Bjorn Steinbekk, shows the eruption north of Grindavik.

The Icelandic Met Office reported an “intense earthquake swarm” began in the crater row on Thursday evening, shortly before 9 pm, and was rapidly expanding. Approximately 45 minutes later, a fissure opened east of Sylingarfell and a gas plume about 1 km (0.62 feet) high spread southward.

As of Friday morning, the agency estimated the fissure to be approximately 3.9 km (2.4 miles) long.

“The seismicity is fairly stable and the main activity is at the northern end of the eruptive fissure,” the agency said. “It is therefore unlikely that the fissure will extend to the south,” where Grindavik is located.

The Public Safety Department of the National Police declared a state of emergency in Sundhnukagigar on Thursday at 10 pm.