Santa Barbara County Fire Department’s Helicopter 964 airlifted 11 National Park Service employees from Santa Rosa Island on Sunday, May 17, as a wind-driven wildfire advanced toward their housing, officials said.
All personnel were flown to Oxnard Airport without injury in a swift, high-priority evacuation.
The vegetation fire ignited early Friday, May 15, on the remote oceanside of Santa Rosa Island near Ford Point in the island’s southeastern corner. Channel Islands National Park officials said the fire was first reported around 4:30 a.m. by an aircraft flying overhead. By 3 p.m. Friday, federal wildland resources were en route for suppression efforts.
As of Sunday evening, May 17, the National Park Service (NPS) reported the fire at 5,692 acres with 0% containment.
Described by NPS as a full-suppression, human-caused wildfire under investigation, the blaze remains active on both its eastern and western flanks. On the east side, fire has reached East Point and East Point Road.
On the west, activity has moderated but remains in the area of the South Point Lighthouse; the lighthouse’s status is unknown. A Gale Warning remains in effect until 3 a.m. Monday, May 18, complicating marine access and aerial operations.
Dozens of firefighters and park rangers remain on the island, focusing on direct attack where safe and most likely to succeed to protect park infrastructure and values at risk.
Crews are working closely with Channel Islands National Park staff to safeguard cultural resources and the island’s unique habitats—Santa Rosa Island is home to six plant species found nowhere else on Earth. An indirect containment strategy is being prepared if the fire approaches Clapp Spring, aiming to protect the island’s main historic and operational area, including work north of the fire along Telephone Road. Additional crews are on order and expected to deploy once winds subside and boating conditions improve.
Two uninhabited historic structures have been confirmed destroyed: Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed on the western edge of the fire and the Wreck Line Camp Cabin on the eastern edge. An additional storage structure adjacent to Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed was also lost.
On Friday morning, an unidentified boater reportedly crashed his sailboat in the same vicinity. A local sport fishing captain told media he saw orange smoke near Ford Point around 9:30 a.m., spotted a man onshore with a partially sunken sailboat nearby, and contacted authorities after the man fired a flare.
The U.S. Coast Guard said that at 9:45 a.m., Sector Los Angeles–Long Beach coordinated a rescue; a 67-year-old man was hoisted from shore by an Air Station Ventura helicopter with no injuries reported.
Access restrictions remain in place. The National Park Service has closed Santa Rosa Island to day and overnight use at least through this week due to the wildfire; Water Canyon Campground reservation holders have been notified. Separately, to protect sensitive wildlife and habitat, the beaches and dunes of China Camp and Cluster Point—and the area between—are temporarily closed to visitor access, with travel permitted only on marked paths.
This is a developing story. Updates will be provided by the National Park Service and Santa Barbara County Fire Department as information becomes available.
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Yep, this guy has roasted a giant part of Rosa. Shooting up flares onto an island is a bad move. Couldn’t judge the wind…x2
the fire was reported at 430am, the sailboat crashed ashore at 930am, you’re not very good at basic math eh? no, his flair did not cause the fire and flares are always shot over the sea in an arc for visibility.
Dude doesn’t even read, just reacts with mindless babble. Honestly, even when he/she does try to read, they get it wrong.
Some folks just kinda failed.
Read other sources bro. Your data is off.
Hey now, BASIC, you’re bumbling assumption just happened to be correct this one time, but let’s not start pretending that you know how to read. M’kay?
*your
We’re not sure when the boater crashed, could have been overnight. I believe every time he was firing flares quite a bit. One early in the morning to start the fire, and another one when the captain of the other boat spotted him.
This might change some of your opinions – https://www.sfgate.com/national-parks/article/national-park-largest-wildfire-22264388.php – devastating situation.
Oh wow! Hold on, get the cookies and gold stars ready…… Basic was actually right about something! Hold the presses! Hell has frozen over!
Guy was an absolute Fu$%ing moron. How the F you fire a flare anywhere but out over open water.