One of America’s most remote, isolated national parks is dealing with a fast-moving wildfire, and it can all be traced back to a sailing trip gone wrong. Santa Rosa, one of the five islands in Channel Islands National Park, caught fire after a stranded sailor reportedly set off flares to attract rescuers, and the fire remained uncontained Monday morning.
The Fire
Channel Islands National Park is a series of five islands around 30 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif. The park attracted over 227,000 visitors in 2025. Santa Rosa is the second-largest island in the park, and is home to rare plants, including six plants that are only found on the island.
CAL FIRE listed the fire on May 15, though the agency notes this is not a CAL FIRE incident. The National Park Service has jurisdiction.
In an Instagram post, the U.S. Coast Guard explained that on Sunday, they had rescued a 67-year-old sailor who had crashed onto the island on Friday. They flew to the island via helicopter, and then a rescue swimmer picked up the sailor, and the crew safely hoisted him into the aircraft.
The Coast Guard said the sailor had used flares to signal for help and that the flares accidentally sparked the fire. CAL FIRE still lists the official cause as under investigation.
As of May 18, the fire stands at 10,029 acres, with 0% containment. That represents approximately 19% of the island’s land area. The island is closed to visitors, and all non-fire-related staff were evacuated Sunday by boat.
Firefighting crews have attempted to drop water on the fire from aircraft, but gale-force winds have rendered that tactic ineffective. As conditions change, crews will reassess and may attempt that strategy again. All firefighting supplies and personnel are arriving by boat.
Evacuated and Closed
The island is closed to visitors, and 11 National Park Service employees were evacuated by helicopter Sunday with no reported injuries.
Authorities confirmed that the fire has destroyed two historic structures on the island: Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed and Wreck Line Camp Cabin. Firefighters are working to attempt to save important infrastructure on the island, including the fuel building and pier.
“Firefighters will focus on the pier as a priority and the bridge adjacent to the pier as these are key transportation elements for the island,” InciWeb, an interagency fire management website, stated.
Conditions are currently very clear and dry, and firefighting teams are expecting the fire to be quite active. “Extreme fire behavior continues to challenge suppression efforts, including wind-driven runs, uphill runs, and backing fire activity,” CalFIRE explained.
As of now, this is the largest wildfire in California has experienced in 2026.
Possible Effects
One of the primary concerns is the effect the wildfire could have on rare species. The island is home to one of the rarest pine trees, the Santa Rosa Island subspecies of Torrey pine, which is found nowhere else in the world.
Other rare, federally endangered, or federally threatened species associated with Santa Rosa Island and its surrounding waters include island rush-rose, island phacelia, Hoffmann’s slenderflowered gilia, western snowy plover, black abalone, and soft-leaved paintbrush.
For thousands of years, the Chumash People lived on the islands, and Santa Rosa is the site of many important archaeological and historical resources. The island “contains thousands of significant and federally protected archeological sites. Archeological investigations on the island have enabled scientists to construct a more complete picture of Chumash life on the islands,” the NPS explained.
Should important infrastructure like the pier be destroyed, it will be harder for NPS staff and subsequently visitors to access the island.
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