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Abstract

Since March 2021, a series of volcanic eruptions on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula has repeatedly triggered wildfires in moss-dominated heathlands—an unprecedented phenomenon in this environment. These fires have consumed extensive organic material, posing emerging health risks and long-term ecological impacts. Using high-resolution multispectral satellite data from the Copernicus program, we present the first quantitative assessment of the spatial and temporal dynamics of volcanic wildfire activity. Our analysis reveals a cumulative burned area extending 11.4 km2 beyond the lava flows, primarily across low-relief terrain. Time series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) capture both localized fire scars and diffuse, landscape-scale burn patterns, followed by slow and spatially heterogeneous recovery. Complementary ground surveys conducted in August 2024 document diverse post-fire successional pathways, with vegetation regrowth and species composition strongly governed by microtopography and substrate texture. Together, these results demonstrate that volcanic wildfires represent a novel and consequential secondary disturbance in Icelandic volcanic systems, highlighting the complex and protracted recovery dynamics of moss heath ecosystems following fire-induced perturbation.