A wildfire sparked by a mariner’s emergency flares after a sailboat crash has burned more than 10,000 acres—nearly a fifth of Santa Rosa Island—and officials say it is the largest blaze recorded there in modern history, destroying historic buildings and threat
When firefighters finally reached Santa Rosa Island, the flames had already been chewing through the island’s steep slopes for days—pushing up steep terrain and down into chaparral as gusty winds fought back.
The blaze. fueled by rough seas and difficult weather. was sparked by a shipwrecked mariner who crashed his sailboat into rocks on the island’s rugged south side and then fired emergency flares to signal for help. More than 10,000 acres—nearly a fifth of Santa Rosa Island—have burned, and officials said the fire was 0% contained.
For Michael Cohen, chair of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council, the danger isn’t abstract. “It’s one of our gems of the California coast,” he said. “It looks like it did 100 years ago — it’s just untouched.”
The fire information officer for the incident, Mike Theune, said flames spread through island chaparral, along with some grass and brush. Two historic buildings were destroyed: Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed and the Wreck Line Camp Cabin. The fire also destroyed a storage structure.
Even with the destruction mounting, the immediate race has been about what the island holds that can’t be replaced.
Flames were about a half-mile from the island’s stand of Torrey pines—one of just two places in the world where the species grows naturally. Theune said. Firefighters were working to contain the blaze using preexisting features such as roads. ridges and trails rather than carving a fire line through the island’s sensitive ecosystems.
Each of the Channel Islands has plants and animals that evolved there, with no place else on Earth replicating the mix. Phyllis Grifman, vice chair of the advisory council, said island foxes are among those endemic species. “They’re kind of known as the Galapagos of [North] America,” she said.
Santa Rosa is home to six endemic plants, Cohen said, along with the island spotted skunk and rare birds. The island also carries deep human history. North America’s oldest definitively dated human remains were found there in 1959, and Cohen said there are culturally significant Chumash sites.
While firefighters transported personnel and supplies by boat, Sunday brought at least one evacuation by air. A helicopter evacuated 11 employees of the National Park Service, which manages the island as part of the Channel Islands National Park.
The man who sparked the emergency signals was rescued after spending Thursday night stranded. The U.S. Coast Guard said an Air Station Ventura MH-60T Jayhawk aircrew rescued a 67-year-old mariner after his sailboat crash at Santa Rosa Island.
Jace Malone, who helms the New Hustler sportfishing boat, said he spotted smoke around 9:30 a.m. Friday and drove closer so the children on his boat could take a look. He then saw someone waving.
Malone said a man stood on a small sliver of unburned land surrounded by scorched vegetation. He described small pieces of the vessel scattered among the rocks and said the man had somehow scratched “SOS” into the blackened earth. as shown in a Coast Guard photo. Malone called the Coast Guard, which sent a helicopter to hoist the man up.
Wind had complicated early efforts. Windy conditions initially fanned the flames and made it difficult for firefighters to reach the blaze. A gale warning was in effect from Friday night to early Monday. and forecasters had warned boats of all sizes to remain in harbor. said Bryan Lewis. a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
The conditions also prevented the use of water-dropping aircraft. Theune said firefighters attempted one drop, but the wind blew the water away before it reached the ground.
Even with those limits, crews were able to reach the island less than 12 hours after the fire was confirmed. Theune said that “was no easy feat. ” describing boat travel as the most time-efficient mode of transport and also the only way to move all the supplies needed to fight a wildfire. “That’s what makes fighting a fire like this different. as opposed to mainland firefight where we can drive in trucks and equipment. ” he said.
By Monday, a firefighting aircraft flew over the fire and conferred with firefighters on the ground about whether additional aircraft could be used, Theune said. About 70 people were assigned to the fire, with more on the way.
On the Channel Islands, fires are not an everyday visitor, and officials pointed to recent history for comparison. The last major fire on the islands was the Scorpion fire, which burned 1,368 acres on Santa Cruz Island in 2020.
As the Santa Rosa wildfire continues to spread—still at 0% containment—the question becomes less about how quickly help can arrive and more about what can be spared before the weather shifts again.
Santa Rosa Island wildfire Torrey pines Channel Islands National Park emergency flares U.S. Coast Guard rescue Scorpion fire endemic species historic buildings destroyed