<\/p>\n
A visual of the acreage burned on Santa Rosa Island in California, shown on May 19, 2026.<\/p>\n
Screenshot via Cal Fire<\/p>\n
California\u2019s largest wildfire of the year continues to grow, with over 16,000 acres scorched on Santa Rosa Island as of Tuesday<\/a>\u00a0morning.\u00a0<\/p>\n The fire \u201cremained active\u201d overnight, spreading farther north on Santa Rosa Island, part of Channel Islands National Park.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Torrey pines hike near Becher\u2019s Bay Pier on Santa Rosa Island in California.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jennifer Wan\/Getty Images\/iStockphoto<\/p>\n \u201cGrasses on the island continue to be receptive to fire with the dry winds, low humidity, and warm days,\u201d read the incident overview<\/a>\u00a0from the National Park Service.<\/p>\n The island, often referred to as\u00a0\u201cCalifornia\u2019s Galapagos,\u201d<\/a> is home to multiple rare plant species, including the iconic\u00a0Torrey pines, which in the U.S. are found only on this island and in San Diego. On Monday, the fire swept through the Torrey pines grove on the island, and the extent of the damage remains unknown.<\/p>\n A drone is being brought to the island Tuesday to collect imagery of the trees.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cUpon 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,\u201d the incident overview read on Monday<\/a>.<\/p>\n The fire has burned 16,600 acres, which is over 30% of the island\u2019s 53,000 acres. The cause of the blaze\u00a0remains<\/a> under investigation, but fire started shortly after a stranded sailor set off a flare gun last Friday, according<\/a>\u00a0to the U.S. Coast Guard. The fire remains 0% contained.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A view of the Santa Rosa Island Fire in California, seen from the west side of the fire with the front facing east, on May 16, 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n U.S. Wildland Fire Service<\/p>\n Currently, 78 firefighting personnel have responded to the blaze along with an air tanker. More personnel, including a Hotshot crew, are expected to arrive on Tuesday. The fire has already destroyed two historic structures on the island, the Johnson\u2019s Lee Equipment Shed and the Wreck Line Camp Cabin, and it continues to advance across the largely uninhabited island.\u00a0<\/p>\n As of Tuesday morning, the fire is within a half mile of the Water Canyon Campground, and crews are focusing on creating defensible space around the Vail and Vickers Ranch historic district, according to the incident overview.<\/p>\n \u201cThe firefighters that are working this fire are working extremely hard in deep and rugged train. It\u2019s very windy out there, it\u2019s very dry, and they are doing everything that they can to reduce the size of this fire as soon as possible,\u201d Mike Theune, the Park Service\u2019s information officer for the Santa Rosa Island Fire, told SFGATE.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n After days of high winds and dry weather, winds are expected to weaken on Tuesday, and humidity is expected to increase.<\/p>\n The island is the second-largest of the Channel Islands and home to rare plant species, including six found nowhere else in the world. Located about 26 miles off the California mainland, it\u2019s largely uninhabited except for Park Service staff who have housing on the island.\u00a0<\/p>\n While the fire is the largest to ignite in the state this year, multiple blazes have popped up in recent days, forcing firefighting personnel and resources to be dispersed across the state.\u00a0<\/p>\n Left to right: Fire equipment is loaded at night in preparation for transportation to Santa Rosa Island in California on May 18, 2026; a specialized wildland fire module from the U.S. Wildland Fire Service prepares to head out to Santa Rosa Island during the morning of May 19, 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n U.S. Wildland Fire Service<\/p>\n \u201cToday new wildfires ignited on the mainland which immediately became the priority,\u201d the Park Service\u2019s incident overview stated Monday. \u201cPer policy, firefighting resources are always assigned based on the greatest threats to life, safety, and property. This prioritization helps ensure that the most urgent needs are addressed first during rapidly evolving fire activity.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Theune said there has not been any delay in getting resources after the other wildfires started throughout the state.<\/p>\n Stay informed, and entertained.<\/p>\n By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use<\/a> and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to keep requesting as many wildland firefighters as we need,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Former Channel Islands National Park Superintendent Russell Galipeau told SFGATE via phone that he\u2019s been following news of the fire closely and is concerned that specialized fire trucks haven\u2019t yet arrived on the island, saying: \u201cWhy is it taking this long?\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n National Parks Bureau Chief Ashley Harrell contributed to this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A visual of the acreage burned on Santa Rosa Island in California, shown on May 19, 2026. 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