As lava from the Cumbre Vieja volcano poured into the sea, throwing up clouds of white steam, a pyramid of steaming black rock rose from the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Spain's La Palma on Wednesday.

Despite concerns about hazardous fumes, officials claimed the air inland was safe to breathe.

Lava from the volcano, which began erupting ten days ago, entered the ocean just before midnight on Tuesday near Tazacorte and began piling at the foot of a cliff, eventually forming a cone of debris above the waterline.

"It's now generating a 'lava delta,' which is... extending the island to the west," said Juan-Tomas Vazquez, a marine geologist onboard the Ramon Margalef research vessel, which is just offshore from the cliffside.

The research mission's oceanographer, Eugenio Fraile, told a videoconference that the steam presented no harm for the time being but emphasized the significance of the monitoring effort.

Since the volcano erupted on Sept. 19, thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes, and lava has engulfed almost 530 homes and many banana farms.

La Palma has been designated as a disaster zone by Spain, which will provide financial assistance to the island.

Authorities feared possible explosions and hazardous gas clouds when the lava touched the sea, so three coastal towns were evacuated.

Mayor Juan Miguel Rodriguez Acosta of Tazacorte informed TV3 that everyone inside a 2-kilometer (one-mile) radius had been evacuated.

According to La Palma's council, residents will be unable to leave their homes for some time, even though the air is "perfectly breathable," according to La Palma's council.

"Until we have a definitive result that guarantees these areas are not at risk," Maria Jose Blanco of the Pevolca eruption task force said, adding that the ash cloud was being moved south toward the island of El Hierro.

Flights to and from La Palma were resumed on Wednesday after being canceled last week, according to local airline Binter.