Man crashed into Calif. national park island, set off major wildfire [View all]
Last edited Mon May 18, 2026, 03:20 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: SFGATE
A sailor stranded in Channel Islands National Park started California’s largest wildfire of the year so far after he set off a flare following a sailboat crash on Santa Rosa Island on Friday, according to a post from the U.S. Coast Guard.
The 67-year-old man was stranded after his sailboat ran onto the rocks of Santa Rosa Island. The man was stranded overnight before rescue swimmers reached him the following morning at about 10:30 a.m. Images from the scene show he had written “SOS” in the charred grasslands.
“The sailor fired emergency flares to signal for help, which inadvertently sparked a wildfire that grew to 1,000 acres by Friday afternoon,” officials from the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Ventura said in a post.
Gale-force winds helped a wildfire spread quickly across Santa Rosa Island, destroying two historic structures.
Over 70 firefighting personnel have responded to the blaze that has scorched over 10,000 acres since it started. More firefighters are expected to arrive Monday after the gale-force winds seen over the weekend finally weaken. No injuries have been reported in the fire, but two historic structures on the island, Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed and Wreck Line Camp Cabin, were both destroyed in the blaze.
Read more: https://www.sfgate.com/national-parks/article/national-park-largest-wildfire-22264388.php
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