Santa Rosa Island Fire grows to 16,600 acres, reaches rare Torrey pine grove

Firefighters are trying to protect the Santa Rosa Island pier, historic buildings and a campground as the 16,600-acre wildfire continues to burn northeast.

On Tuesday morning, officials confirmed that the fire had burned through the rare Torrey pines area of the island, one of the few places in the world where the trees grow naturally.

The fire was a half-mile from the Water Canyon Campground, and firefighting efforts were focusing on structures in that area as well as the Vail and Vickers Ranch Historic District, officials said.

“The fire has moved through the Torrey Pines area on the east side of the island and continues to have a northward progression,” officials said in a Tuesday morning update.

The wildfire has been burning since Friday and prompted Channel Islands National Park officials to close Santa Rosa Island to the public.

The blaze was driven by wind and terrain, and was 0% contained, according to incident command.

The U.S. Coast Guard said the fire appeared to be caused by a man who fired flares after his sailboat ran aground at Santa Rosa Island on Friday.

Federal firefighting authorities said the “human-caused” wildfire is still under investigation.

How crews are fighting the Santa Rosa Island Fire

Crews had not been able to use water-dropping air tankers over the weekend because of wind conditions.

On Monday, winds subsided somewhat, but new fires started on the mainland, including one in Ventura County, and resources were prioritized for those incidents, officials said.

They hope to use water drops to protect important park infrastructure and natural resources such as the Becher’s Bay pier and nearby bridge, the historic ranch house; park housing; and a fuel building.

“Unfortunately, the fire has reached the Torrey Pines area on the east side of the island,” federal officials said Monday night.

“Upon initial assessments, fire crews are observing that the fire intensity was low and that the stand remains intact. When safe to do so, a fire effects crew will be assigned to make a full determination of condition and any long-term effect.”

Some of the resources headed to the island include a hotshot crew and an unmanned aircraft module “to aid in visual reconnaissance of the fire’s activity and location across the steep and rugged terrain — including a visual inspection of the Torrey Pines.”

Federal officials noted that “six plant species are found on Santa Rosa Island and nowhere else in the world.”

More firefighters expected this week

There are 78 firefighting personnel assigned to the blaze, and additional crews and equipment were expected to arrive by boat this week. The incident management team said more firefighters would arrive Tuesday and that specialized wildland engines would be sent to the island midweek.

Crews and heavy equipment did more defensible space preparation Monday around structures on the northeast of the island, including the ranger station, ranch house, fuel building, campgrounds and historic schoolhouse, officials said.

“Additionally, firefighters have made progress prepping Main (Soledad) Road and Telephone Road to be used for potential strategic firing operations as part of an indirect confinement strategy if conditions allow and it is safe to do so. Firefighters are also prepared to do any defensive firing tonight from the Water Canyon Campground if conditions require it to protect that area,” according to incident command.

“On the southwest side of the fire, firefighters are working on improving defensible space around the lighthouse at South Point and establishing an anchor point to build more containment line at that corner of the fire.”

The island closure affects Water Canyon Campground, backpackers and day-trip visitors. Island Packers boats are not taking passengers to the island during the closure, which is expected to last at least through this week, according to the website.

The boats use the Becher’s Bay pier, which is one of the priorities for firefighting protection as key transportation infrastructure for the island, according to federal authorities.

Two uninhabited historic structures in the area of the fire have been destroyed: the Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed on the western edge and the Wreck Line Camp Cabin on the eastern edge. An additional storage structure was also destroyed adjacent to Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed.

Federal officials from the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the incident commanders decided to remove all non-fire staff from the island as a precautionary measure.

Santa Barbara County Air Support Unit Helicopter 964 successfully evacuated 11 National Park Service employees from the island Sunday.

This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 10:42 AM with the headline "Santa Rosa Island Fire grows to 16,600 acres, reaches rare Torrey pine grove."