Brigade Armando Salazar and Corporal Alvaro Heredia of GIETMA-UME (Grupo de Intervención en Emergencias Tecnológicas y Medioambientales de la Unidad Militad de Emergencias) walking on AA lava slag still at over 300º C to collect samples for the IGME-CSIC (Instituto Geológico y Minero de España belonging to the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas). This latest event marks the first time this volcano has erupted since 1971. The island of La Palma is part of the Spanish Canary Islands and is one of the most volcanically active areas in the archipelago, with a population of about 85,000 people. The last eruption was preceded by several seismic swarms. More than 7000 villagers were evacuated and more than 1300 homes were destroyed.
