Nearly a third of National Park island home to rare wildlife has burned in spate of Southern California wildfires

A large wildfire has burned [nearly a third of Santa Rosa Island](https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/20/weather/california-wildfires-santa-rosa-island-climate?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=missions&utm_source=reddit) in California’s Channel Islands National Park — an area home to dozens of rare plants and animals, including some found nowhere else in the world.

The blaze ignited on Friday and has grown to nearly 17,000 acres as of Tuesday evening, making it the largest fire in the state this year, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. It is 26% contained.

The fire has already claimed two historic structures on the island and forced the evacuation of 11 National Park employees on Sunday, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. The island is also closed to visitors.

The fire has also moved through the island’s grove of Torrey Pine trees, a rare and critically endangered native pine species that now only grows naturally on Santa Rosa Island and a small preserve near San Diego, according to the National Park Service. Firefighters are scheduled to assess the grove for damage on Wednesday.

The Channel Islands have been described as akin to the Galápagos in South America, with their isolation allowing for the evolution of unique species. Santa Rosa Island alone is home to around 46 endemic or unique plants and animals, according to the parks service.

Cal Fire reported “extreme fire behavior” on Monday, but winds improved enough on Tuesday to allow aircraft attacks. The fire’s growth was more limited than previous days, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Officials say the fire is “human-caused” but still under investigation. Coast Guard Southwest District spokesperson Kenneth Wiese told CNN the investigation is being handled by the National Parks Service.