Wildfire burns one-fifth of Santa Rosa Island Play

A huge brushfire has broken out on Santa Rosa Island, one of the Channel Islands due west of Malibu.

Gale force winds are making it difficult to get fire crews to the island, about 40 miles southwest of Santa Barbara and about 70 miles west of Malibu.

Smoke from the fire might blow above Malibu under normal circumstances, but today we are seeing a mild Santa Ana from the opposite direction. Smoke from the flames spread throughout the L.A. basin yesterday, however, and was expected to drift throughout the region through Tuesday. We might smell it here in Malibu.

The fire broke out somehow in the wilderness on Friday. It has now grown to cover 10,029 acres, burning one-fifth of the island.

Three historic ranch structures have burned. Eleven National Park Service employees were rescued by a Santa Barbara County Fire Department helicopter.

Six plant species on the island are not found anywhere else in the world, according to the Channel Islands National Park. The island is also home to animals such as island foxes, spotted skunks and elephant seals.

The fire started on Santa Rosa Island early Friday morning. The Coast Guard says a boat crashed onto the island Friday morning. The mariner fired a flare gun to signal for help — and burned down the island.