Reuters has declared the eruption of the La Palma volcano over after three months of destruction

By Nathan Allen and Silvio Castellanos

MADRID (Reuters) – Scientists officially ended the eruption of La Palma in Spain on Saturday, giving the islands a chance to breathe as the volcano Cumbre Vieja begins to shed lava, rock and ash, raising the lives of thousands of people in nearly 100 days.

After the eruption began on September 19, the volcano was suddenly silenced on Monday, December 13, but authorities, concerned about raising false hopes, held on to it until Christmas Day.

“What I mean today can be said in four words: the eruption is over,” Canary Islands regional security chief Julio Perez told a news conference on Saturday.

During the eruption, lava spilled down the hillside and engulfed many of the banana plantations that occupy homes, churches and nearly half of the island’s economy. Although the property was destroyed, no one was killed.

Maria Jose Blanco, director of the National Geographic Institute of the Canary Islands, said that all the indicators suggest that the eruption has run out of energy but does not rule out future reactivation.

The 1,219-hectare lava now destroyed about 3,000 properties – the equivalent of about 1,500 football pitches – according to a recent report by emergency services.

Of the 7,000 people evacuated, most have returned home but many of the houses still standing are uninhabitable due to ash damage. As many roads are blocked, some plantations are now only accessible by sea.

German couple Jacqueline Rehm and Juergen Doelz were forced to evacuate, fleeing their rental home in the town of Todoque, and boarded a small sailboat for seven weeks.

“We couldn’t save anything, no furniture, no paintings, everything is under the lava now,” said Rehm, 49, who said they would go to nearby Tenerife after Christmas.

“I’m not sure it’s really over. I don’t trust this beast at all,” he said.

The roaring volcano, which served as a constant reminder of the eruption, may have calmed down and the islands no longer need to wear umbrellas and goggles to protect themselves from the ashes, but a horrific clean-up operation is underway.

The government has pledged more than 400 million euros ($ 453 million) for reconstruction, but some residents and businesses have complained that the funds are slowing down.

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