Santa Rosa Island fire burns more than 10,000 acres, threatening rare plants and animals

This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.

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.If you've smelled smoke today, you're not imagining things.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.Track air quality at https://t.co/0dhjz24tXS pic.twitter.com/hFlRD5rgS0The 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.The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, which include arbitration and a class action waiver.

You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, ...