A wildfire on Santa Rosa Island has charred 10,029 acres and remains 0% contained, destroying two uninhabited historic structures as crews face remote access, communications problems, and strong winds expected to ease early Monday.
By Sunday night, the Santa Rosa Island fire had already blackened 10,029 acres and was still 0% contained, leaving crews working in rugged terrain where getting equipment and information to the right places has been its own battle.
The blaze, first reported Friday on the Channel Islands National Park site about 26 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, is considered part of Santa Barbara County. Authorities said it began after a man ran his sailboat aground and fired off flares.
Firefighters were dealing with conditions shaped by wind, remoteness, and limited access. The fire was burning on the island’s southeastern end, where access and communications remained challenging, and it was concentrated on rugged ground.
As of Sunday night. the firefighting force numbered 70. with incident command shared by the National Park Service and the U.S.. Wildland Fire Service.. Activity had shifted through the day: on Sunday afternoon. the fire stayed most active on the eastern edge. northeast of Sierra Pablo Peak into Quemada Canyon. while the west side moderated substantially but still remained in the area of the South Point Lighthouse. where officials said the status was unknown.
A gale warning expected to expire at 3 a.m. Monday was complicating plans. The National Weather Service warned of northwest winds 20 to 30 knots (23 to 35 mph) with gusts up to 40 knots (46 mph) and combined seas of 16 to 21 feet at their worst.
Incident commanders said additional fire crews were on order and expected to be transported out to the island after the winds subside and boating conditions are safer.. Federal officials also said the fire was moving toward the northwest and were expecting it to continue northward as Monday’s weather shifts.
The danger has also reached the island’s historic remnants.. Two uninhabited historical structures were confirmed destroyed: the Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed on the western edge and the Wreck Line Camp Cabin on the eastern edge.. An additional storage structure adjacent to Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed was also destroyed.
While crews focus on stopping further spread. federal officials said firefighters are working closely with Channel Islands National Park staff to help protect cultural assets and sites. along with the island’s unique plant and animal habitat.. They noted that six plant species are found on Santa Rosa Island and nowhere else in the world.
With the fire’s behavior evolving, federal officials from the NPS, U.S.. Fish and Wildlife Service and incident commanders decided to remove all non-fire staff from the island on Sunday afternoon as a precaution.. Santa Barbara County Air Support Unit Helicopter 964 evacuated 11 National Park Service employees from the island Sunday as the fire continued to spread.
Karen Cruz-Orduña. a spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. said the crew “safely transported all personnel from employee housing—threatened with being cut off by the fire—to Oxnard Airport. with no injuries reported.” She added. “This swift operation ensured the safety of our dedicated park staff.”
The National Park Service has closed Santa Rosa Island to public use for day and overnight visitors until further notice. Visitors with campground reservations at Water Canyon Campground were notified via e-mail.
Santa Rosa is the second largest of the Channel Islands, covering 53,195 acres—about 15 miles wide by 10 miles long, encompassing 84 square miles.
A pattern is emerging across the day’s updates: as conditions worsened. the most active area shifted between the eastern edge near Sierra Pablo Peak and Quemada Canyon and the west side toward the South Point Lighthouse. while officials kept tightening access. culminating in the removal of all non-fire staff and the closure of the island to visitors.
Even with a gale warning scheduled to expire at 3 a.m. Monday, crews are still facing the realities of a remote fire—one that has already consumed 10,029 acres, destroyed at least three structures tied to Johnson’s Lee and Wreck Line Camp, and continues to move with the wind-driven forecast.
Santa Rosa Island fire 10029 acres 0% contained Channel Islands National Park Cal Fire gale warning 3 a.m. Monday Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed Wreck Line Camp Cabin Helicopter 964 South Point Lighthouse Water Canyon Campground closure