- The fire on Santa Rosa Island became the largest in Channel Islands’ recorded history.
- Park officials said conditions prevented resources from initially getting to the remote fire.
- The fate of a rare stand of Torrey Pines and other plant and animal species remain unknown.
A group walked a narrow strip of road in the remote Channel Islands National Park on June 8, with ocean views on one side, and fire-blackened hills on the other.
A few weeks earlier, flames raced through grass and chewed through brush on Santa Rosa Island, roughly 40 miles off Ventura. In all, the fire burned nearly 29 square miles, destroyed at least two historic structures and became the largest in the Channel Islands’ recorded history.
The blaze that started May 15 is now fully contained, but with nearly 40% of the island burned, officials said there are still a lot of unknowns…