A helicopter belonging to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department successfully airlifted 11 employees of the National Park Service from Santa Rosa Island on Sunday. This emergency evacuation was necessitated by a wildfire, attributed to human activity, which has engulfed more than 10,000 acres, posing a threat to the employees’ living quarters.
“Helicopter Rescue – Helicopter 964 accomplished the safe evacuation of 11 National Park Service staff from Santa Rosa Island amidst the ongoing wildfire,” SBC Fire announced via X on Sunday night. “The team safely relocated all personnel from the housing area, which was at risk of being isolated by the advancing fire, to Oxnard Airport, with no injuries reported.
“This rapid response guaranteed the safety of our committed park personnel.”
As the evacuation unfolded, fire crews were actively combating the wind-driven flames on the isolated Channel Islands National Park isle. Officials noted that the fire had already claimed two structures and was 0% contained by Sunday evening, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The blaze, located on the southern part of Santa Rosa Island between Ford Point and South Point, was measured at 10,025 acres by Sunday afternoon, as reported by Cal Fire. The National Park Service, overseeing the incident, has confirmed that the fire was caused by human activity and is currently under investigation.
The fire, burning on the south side of Santa Rosa Island between Ford Point and South Point, had been mapped at 10,025 acres by Sunday afternoon, according to Cal Fire. The National Park Service, which has jurisdiction over the incident, has described the fire as human-caused and under investigation.
The smoke from the island fire blew east to the California coast and will be impacting air quality early this week, the National Weather Service in San Diego reported.
“If you’ve smelled smoke today, you’re not imagining things,” NWS San Diego wrote Sunday on X. “Smoke from the Santa Rosa Islands Fire has been drifting towards our region. The HRRR model shows near-surface smoke through at least Tuesday, assuming the fire continues.”
The agency advised the public to monitor air quality at http://airnow.gov.
The blaze also poses an ecological threat on Santa Rosa Island, the second-largest of the Channel Islands and home to rare plants and animals. Park officials said the fire is threatening six plant species native to the island that are found nowhere else in the world, while the island also supports wildlife including island foxes, spotted skunks and elephant seals.
About 70 firefighters and park rangers were battling the fire Sunday night, according to the Times.
The island, located about 26 miles off Santa Barbara, has been closed to visitors at least through this week as crews continue suppression efforts.
