The fire began after a man's sailboat crashed into the rocks on the island, according to the Coast Guard. He reportedly fired emergency flares to signal for help before he was rescued.
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.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 16,938 acres. So far, the fire has destroyed three buildings, officials say. While officials believe the emergency flares may have sparked the blaze, the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation. Light Santa Ana winds continue as temperatures begin to rise across SoCalMark Fuhrman, LAPD detective at center of controversy in OJ Simpson's murder trial, dies at age 74
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