The Santa Rosa Island wildfire that started Friday has burned about 25% of the island and continues to threaten historic structures and Channel Islands National Park infrastructure.
Incident commanders for the 16,600-acre blaze hope to start water drops and air attack Tuesday to aid firefighters on the ground, said fire information officer Mike Theune.
“The preference will be water, but we’re going to utilize every tool available to us to stop the spread of this fire,” Theune said. “There have not been any retardant drops at this point.”
The wildfire started on the southern side of the island on Friday and has been burning northeast. The fast growth is due to a combination of low relative humidity, winds and terrain.
“One of the things that is most challenging about this fire is the logistical aspect,” Theune said. “For mainland fires, we can bring our engines and crews can drive directly to the fire line.”
For the Santa Rosa Island Fire, incident commanders are sending crews and equipment over by boat, with help from National Park Service partners and Island Packers.
“Fighting a fire on an island adds an additional complexity to it,” Theune said.
“Boats are the primary transportation because of the sheer volume and size of the equipment.”
There are 78 firefighting personnel assigned to the blaze, and additional crews and equipment are expected to arrive by boat this week.
Fire Damage
The wildfire has burned through the Torrey pines area of the island, one of only two places in the world where the trees grow naturally, fire officials confirmed Monday night.
As of Tuesday, the fire was within a half mile of the Water Canyon Campground, which has sites with wind shelters and a bathroom, and less than two miles from the main ranch complex, Theune said.
It is burning that direction, he confirmed.
Two uninhabited structures on the south side of the island were destroyed by the fire — a historic equipment shed and camp cabin — but crews confirmed that the South Point light station is still intact.
“So that’s fantastic news,” Theune said. “Crews made their way to the lighthouse and it’s still, good, it’s still standing.”
The National Park Service restored the operational light station in 2020.
The official cause of the fire is under investigation, Theune said. The U.S. Coast Guard said Friday that the fire appeared to be caused by a man who fired flares after crashing his sailboat at the island.
“We’re really grateful for the community’s support on this fire,” Theune said. “People visit the national park from all over the world and we’re doing everything we can to reduce impact on flora and fauna and historic assets as well.”
The National Park Service has closed Santa Rosa Island to public use for day and overnight visitors until further notice.
The second largest of the Channel Islands at 53,195 acres, Santa Rosa Island is approximately 15 miles wide by 10 miles long, encompassing 84 square miles.
The incident command post for the Santa Rosa Island fire is at the Channel Islands National Park headquarters at the Ventura Harbor.
Air Quality Impacts
Smoke from wildfires on Santa Rosa Island and in Simi Valley could blow into the Santa Barbara area and affect air quality this week.
The forecast is for moderate air quality due to the minor smoke impacts, according to the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution and Control District.
“We expect smoke to mostly blow away from our county, but there is a small chance that some smoke could reach the most southern areas of Santa Barbara County,” spokesperson Lyz Bantilan said.
“For the most part, we expect that smoke will not affect ground-level air quality, but you may notice a slight smoke smell or see some haze high in the sky.”
Check air quality and the AirNow Fire and Smoke map here.
