Iceland volcano erupts with lava fountains, disrupts heating and roads

A volcano spews lava and smoke as it erupts, near Grindavik, on Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, February 8. 

A volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted on Thursday for the third time since December, spraying streams of lava up to 80m (260 ft) into the air and triggering an emergency warning as thousands of households lost heating in the middle of winter.

Bright orange molten rock spewed from cracks in the ground in the Reykjanes peninsula and lava crossed a road near the Blue Lagoon - a luxury geothermal spa - which had to close due to the eruption.