Santa Rosa Island Fire at 16,942 Acres, 26% Contained; More Crews and Equipment Arrive

The Santa Rosa Island Fire remained active Monday night on its eastern half, with firefighters strengthening lines along key roads and preparing to defend historic structures as additional personnel and equipment arrive today [May 20], according to the National Park Service.

As of 11:01 a.m. Wednesday, May 20, the human-caused wildfire stands at 16,942 acres and is 26% contained, with 135 personnel assigned.

The fire is burning in remote, rugged terrain on the island’s southeastern side between Ford Point and South Point, in grassland, coastal sage scrub, and patches of island chaparral. The incident is under full suppression and remains under investigation.

Overnight fire activity was concentrated along Main (Soledad) Road and Telephone Road south of Black Mountain. Crews were able to go direct and build containment line on Telephone Road toward Cherry Canyon. Fire was also active southwest of Black Rock, upslope from East Point Road, and downslope southeast of Soledad Peak near Quinn Knob Road, gradually consuming unburned vegetation.

Today, more firefighters and equipment are arriving, including a crew from the Chumash Fire Department, which has a special connection to the Channel Islands as Chumash Homelands.

National Park Service firefighting resource advisors are working alongside the Chumash crew to help protect cultural and natural resources. Specially designed wildland Type 6 engines—smaller and more maneuverable than city engines—were loaded onto an NPS landing craft last night and are en route to increase access via unpaved island roads.

Air operations include an unmanned aircraft system module assessing conditions in the Torrey Pines area and a fire observation aircraft coordinating with ground crews to evaluate opportunities for fixed-wing water scoopers capable of dropping 1,500 gallons at a time. On the ground, firefighters are enhancing defensible space at the Main Ranch Complex in case the main fire front advances.

The National Park Service has closed Santa Rosa Island to day and overnight use at least through this week. Campers with reservations at Water Canyon Campground have been notified by email.

Two uninhabited historic structures—the Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed on the western edge of the area and the Wreck Line Camp Cabin on the eastern edge—have been confirmed destroyed, along with an additional storage structure adjacent to the Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed.

Weather conditions are expected to follow a similar daily pattern this week, with a slight warm-up Wednesday followed by cooling Thursday. Afternoon northwest winds will strengthen Wednesday (wind shift around 1 p.m.) and ease Thursday (shift around 3 p.m.). Mornings will see a weak easterly component with typical diurnal terrain flow.

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.

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. 

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., Coast Guard Air Station Ventura MH-60T Jayhawk aircrew hoisted a 67-year-old man from shore by an Air Station Ventura helicopter with no injuries reported.

The mariner reportedly crashed his sailboat into the rocks at Santa Rosa Island and spent the night stranded on the island where he wrote “SOS” in the charred brush. The aircrew located the mariner, deployed a rescue swimmer, and hoisted him to safety before transferring him to awaiting medical personnel at Camarillo Airport.

The NPS urges the public to respect island closures and follow official updates as crews continue suppression efforts.