A fire at Scorpion Valley on Santa Cruz Island has burned through more than 700 acres of land and is 80 percent contained as of Monday morning. The fire was first reported at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday by a construction crew working on the island.
The Los Padres National Forest Service sent in 20 hotshots as well as air support to fight the blaze. By 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, the fire had spread east and quickly grew to about 60 acres. No structures have been damaged or threatened, and there are no reported injuries. There are also no reports yet on the effect on island wildlife caused by the fire.
“The National Park Service is working with United States Forest to contain the fire on Santa Cruz Island,” said Channel Islands National Park Superintendent Ethan McKinley in a statement Sunday. “Firefighting on an island can be challenging, but we have been able to quickly mobilize our initial response.”