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CHANNEL ISLANDS, Calif. () — A shipwrecked mariner may have started a wildfire while trying to signal an SOS on Santa Rosa Island, according to the U.S. Coast Guard
The U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Ventura shared photos of the shipwrecked man and his SOS signal on the island. Another photo shows the burning wildfire.
The Santa Rosa Island Fire began on Friday after a 67-year-old man’s sailboat crashed into the rocks on the island, according to the Coast Guard. He reportedly fired emergency flares to signal for help, and that’s what investigators believe sparked the blaze.
A Coast Guard crew successfully rescued the man on Saturday morning after he spent the night stranded on the island. He was not injured. Now, the wildfire has grown to more than 16,000 acres.
The island is part of Channel Islands National Park.
So far, the fire has destroyed three buildings, officials say.
Santa Rosa Island is closed to public use until further notice.
While officials believe the emergency flares may have sparked the blaze, the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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