California’s Santa Rosa Island fire devastates protected National Park land

A wildfire on Santa Rosa Island in California’s Channel Islands National Park has become the state’s largest fire so far this year, burning more than 10,000 acres, destroying historic structures and threatening rare plant communities that conservationists had spent years trying to restore, The Guardian reports.

About six dozen firefighters have been deployed to contain the blaze, which broke out on May 15, but their efforts have been hampered by strong winds. According to a Cal Fire incident report, the fire is currently at 0% containment.

The fire is believed to have started after a sailor crashed his boat against rocks along the island’s shoreline, leaving him stranded. The 67-year-old man reportedly fired at least two flares in an attempt to attract passing vessels.

The signals appeared to succeed. Kenneth Wiese, a spokesperson for the US Coast Guard’s south-west district, said individuals aboard two separate vessels contacted the National Park Service after suspecting someone was marooned on Santa Rosa Island, part of the Channel Islands National Park off the southern California coast.

The Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter already in flight to rescue the man, who had spent the night on the island. Images posted by the Coast Guard show that he had etched the letters “SOS” into the scorched ground. He was transported to a hospital in nearby Camarillo and did not appear to be injured.

“We do know that he launched some flares to try to get some attention,” Wiese said. “It paid off for him. We were able to get him out of there.”

However, officials say the flares may have triggered a wildfire along the southern coast of the 53,000-acre island. Wiese said he could not confirm the cause of the fire, noting that the National Park Service (NPS) is conducting an investigation. The NPS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The NPS announced that Santa Rosa Island was closed to visitors as firefighters worked to contain the blaze, and evacuated staff the same day, according to the Mercury News.

The fire has reportedly destroyed two structures: the Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed and the Wreck Line Camp Cabin.

The Channel Islands are known for their exceptional biodiversity, with some scientists referring to them as the “Galapagos of California.” However, Santa Rosa Island’s ecosystem was heavily degraded over more than a century of uncontrolled grazing by livestock and non-native ungulates introduced for hunting. Both livestock and invasive species were removed more than a decade ago, allowing native vegetation to recover.

According to San Francisco Gate, six native plant species grow exclusively on Santa Rosa Island. The National Park Service is also reportedly attempting to protect a rare grove of Torrey pines from the advancing fire.

By Vafa Guliyeva