A human-caused fire spread to more than 10,000 acres Sunday night on the south side of Santa Rosa Island, the second-largest of the Channel Islands.
The fire destroyed two structures — a cabin and an equipment shed — and forced the evacuation of 11 National Park Service employees, who were rescued by a Santa Barbara County Fire Department helicopter.
As of Sunday night, 70 firefighters and park rangers were battling the fire, which is threatening six plant species native to the island that aren’t found anywhere else in the world, according to the Channel Islands National Park Service. The island is also home to animals such as island foxes, spotted skunks and elephant seals.
The fire was first spotted by an aircraft Friday night and grew to more than 5,000 acres by Saturday night, according to Cal Fire.
Smoke from the flames spread throughout the L.A. area on Sunday and was expected to drift throughout the region through Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
The perimeter of the fire is 0% contained. According to the park service’s website, the fire was human-caused but is still under investigation.
Santa Rosa Island sits about 26 miles off Santa Barbara. The Park Service said the island was closed to visitors at least through this week.
