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Arturo Rodríguez

Part of an emergency response group with the Spanish military, Armando Salazar wears a protective suit as he walks across the still scorching hot rocks to help scientists collect lava samples. Teams also monitored gases, recorded earthquakes, and more, to better understand the eruption and the potential for more blasts along the Cumbre Vieja ridge.

Winner of the World Press Photo in 2007, Spanish photographer Arturo Rodríguez has covered the eruption of Cumbre Vieja in his native La Palma on the front line.

For scientists, the eruption is an opportunity to demystify a long-studied – but long quiet - volcano. Here, they use temperature measuring equipment to study the lava rapidly solidifying on the flanks of the volcano.

Lava erupts from the Cumbre Vieja volcano while La Palma police officers look on.

Scientists conduct research on the erupting Cumbre Vieja volcano.

Thousands have been evacuated and at least 20 homes have been destroyed by the ongoing eruption as of September 20.

The latest eruption was preceded by several earthquake swarms. Careful monitoring allowed officials to begin some evacuations before the lava started flowing.

The island of La Palma is part of the Spanish Canary Islands and is one of the most volcanically active zones in the archipelago. About 85,000 people call the island home.

Lava flows following the Cumbre Vieja eruption on La Palma in the Canary Islands. The ongoing event marks the first time this volcano has erupted since 1971.