Santa Rosa Island Fire dozer line repair with jute wattles, May 25, 2026.

Santa Rosa Island will remain closed “at least” through June 30 after a wildfire tore through the 53,000-acre island, Channel Islands National Park announced in a news release Thursday. 

The fire started May 15 after a wrecked sailboat caught fire and grew into California’s largest wildfire this year. The wildfire burned “less than 40 percent” of the island, according to the news release, and as of Thursday, it was finally approaching full containment.

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“Although the fire is expected to reach 100 percent containment today, significant hazards remain across the landscape,” Channel Islands National Park Superintendent Ethan McKinley said in the news release. “The temporary closure helps protect visitors, employees,........

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