A wildfire that erupted on an island within Channel Islands National Park has become California’s largest wildfire of the year so far, scorching more than 10,000 acres, destroying historic buildings and threatening rare plant ecosystems that conservationists had spent years trying to restore.

Roughly 60 firefighters have been deployed to battle the blaze, which began on Friday, but strong winds have complicated containment efforts, News.Az reports, citing the Guardian.

According to a Cal Fire incident report, the wildfire remains 0% contained.

Authorities believe the fire on Santa Rosa Island may have started after a sailor crashed his boat into rocks along the island’s shoreline, leaving him stranded. The 67-year-old man reportedly fired at least two flares in an effort to attract attention from passing boats.

The distress attempt appeared successful, according to Kenneth Wiese, spokesperson for the US Coast Guard’s southwest district. Wiese said people aboard two separate vessels contacted the National Park Service after suspecting someone was stranded on Santa Rosa Island, part of the Channel Islands National Park off the southern California coast.

The Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter that was already airborne to rescue the man, who had spent the night on the island. Images later posted on Instagram by the Coast Guard showed the man had carved the letters “SOS” into the burned ground.

— Pamphlets (@PamphletsY) May 19, 2026

Officials transported him to a hospital in nearby Camarillo. Authorities said he did not appear to have suffered any injuries.

“We do know that he launched some flares to try to get some attention,” Wiese said. “It paid off for him. We were able to get him out of there.”

But the flares may have set off a wildfire along the southern coast of the 53,000-acre island. Wiese said he could not confirm the cause of the fire, but said the National Park Service (NPS) was carrying out an investigation. The NPS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The NPS posted a notice on Sunday that Santa Rosa Island was closed to visitors while firefighters attempted to control the fire. The agency evacuated staff on Sunday, according to the Mercury News.

The fire has reportedly destroyed two structures: Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed and Wreck Line Camp Cabin.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev