In preparation of the long-awaited eruption of a volcano in southwestern Iceland this week, thousands of residents were evacuated from a small fishing town on the Reykjanes Peninsula, writes USA TODAY.

More than 4,000 people left the nearby fishing town of Grindavik, which is less than 2 miles from the site of the eruption, on Nov. 10 after seismic activity was detected in the area.

The volcano erupted at 10:17 p.m. local time on Monday, spewing lava and creating a stunning visual spectacle. The eruption came after an initial earthquake at around 9 p.m.

As of Tuesday morning, the length of the ground fissure had expanded to 2.5 miles. The eruption occurred around 50 kilometers, or 31 miles from the country"s capital of Reykjavik.

Local police announced that all routes to Grindavik were closed, except to first responders and other contractors working in the emergency zone. “We would like to ask people not to go to the eruption and remember that gases from this can be dangerous”, police wrote in a Facebook post in Icelandic.