Months after a fire tore through Santa Rosa Island, a new report has indicated that the island could lose up to 80% of its rare Torrey pine trees.

The National Park Service on Tuesday released a report detailing the aftermath of the fire that burned almost a third of the island, including 23.25 miles of roads and 25.6 miles of trails. The report also discussed how Channel Islands National Park staff can support the park’s recovery efforts.

The Santa Rosa Island Fire began on May 15 and continued until June 4. The 18,379-acre fire is the largest recorded wildfire in the history of the Channel Islands.

According to the report, the fire was first reported in the early morning by a commercial aircraft and quickly spread from its starting point in the northern portion of the island before moving eastward.

Containment efforts were delayed by the need to transport heavy machinery and supplies to the island, which is 26 miles off the Santa Barbara coast.

Strong winds and thick clouds also affected the ability to bring in aircraft to help fight the flames. Crews initially fought the fire on the ground.

Fire crews stopped the fire’s momentum in late May. It was fully contained by June 4.

After containment, teams were deployed to the island to compile a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Report assessing the short- and long-term effects of the fire on local vegetation, wildlife, camping and hiking areas, and more.

BAER reports also outline recovery efforts to protect human life, property and critical natural and cultural resources.

The report found that the fire affected the island’s wildlife, trails and vegetation, including its grove of Torrey pines.

Torrey pines are considered critically endangered and grow naturally in two places on the planet: Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve in San Diego County and on Santa Rosa Island.

Santa Rosa is the only location globally for the specific subspecies found on the island.

“The potential loss of so many mature Torrey pines is heartbreaking,” said Channel Islands National Park Superintendent Ethan McKinley. “But we must resolve ourselves to focus on what we can save, and the next few months are critical. The fire may be over, but we’re now in a race against time. Protecting these slopes before winter storms arrive gives us the best opportunity to restore this extraordinary landscape for future generations.”

Initially, the effects of fire on Torrey pines were unknown due to the rarity of the trees and the limited history of fires on the island. But the new report suggests that the Torrey pines were not suited to high heat.

Crews conducted scratch tests on the trees to determine whether they are still producing sap. Multiple tests showed most fire-damaged trees were dry and somewhat brittle.

This suggests the heat from the flames destroyed the tree’s internal plumbing, per the report.

As of now, erosion control crews are working to stabilize slopes burned during the fire.

Park staff also have 14,000 Torrey pine seeds that were released from cones after the fire. Some of the seeds will be placed in the island’s plant nursery and grown into seedlings that can be planted around the island’s burned zones. Others will be saved in a seed bank.

In March, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden opened up a new section dedicated to Torrey pines. The garden celebrated the planting of 45 seedlings with a ribbon-cutting.

Camping Closures

The island is closed to overnight camping until at least Oct. 12, according to the National Park website.

Backcountry camping within the southeastern section of Santa Rosa Island will remain closed for the remainder of the 2026 recreation season.

Day use on the island resumed on July 1, but burned areas are still closed to the public. The shorelines adjacent to the burned area are also still closed.

Several popular campsites are located near drainage areas and burned slopes, which could put campers at risk of landslides. Vegetation may no longer hold the soil in place.

The affected infrastructure included Torrey Pines Trail, Cherry Canyon Trail, East Point Road and Johnsons Lee Coastal Road. Camping infrastructure was also damaged.

Restricted areas include Torrey Pines Trail, Water Canyon, and a segment of Cherry Canyon Trail near Water Canyon Campground.

Staff also found signs that the fire affected the Torrey Pines Trail’s stability because the fire damaged the underbrush along the trail, worsening preexisting erosion concerns, per the report.

Water Canyon Campground is also at risk of debris flows due to fire damage to the soil. The fire also destroyed a windbreak shelter, picnic table and food storage box.

Cherry Canyon Trail was in the burn zone, but sustained no major damage. However, segments of the eastern trailhead may need some maintenance.

“Post-fire recovery work continues across Santa Rosa Island, including environmental stabilization following the Santa Rosa Island Fire. Our goal is to reopen overnight camping where conditions safely allow,” park spokespeople said in an Instagram post.