Gemma Hardy p. 358

On June 8, 1873, the volcano Laki in south Iceland tore open a 16-mile fissure that erupted over nine cubic miles of lava. This eruption would kill over 50% of Iceland’s livestock population as well as 25% of the human population. Its effects were felt the world over with fluorine, sulfur dioxide, ash, sand, and drastically cooled temperatures reaching North America and Africa. The eruption lasted eight months. From the day the eruption began, a humble priest named Jon Steingrimsson would deliver his “fire sermon”, a sermon he delivered after all the townspeople of Kirkjubaejarklaustur were assembled in the church, a giant wall of lava approaching. At the  brief sermon’s conclusion, the lava had changed course, sparing the towns people.

https://www.metafilter.com/79882/The-flood-of-fire-flowed-with-the-speed...