Fire on Southern California oil platform forces evacuation of 26 workers

By Grace Toohey
Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — A fire broke out on an oil platform off the coast of Southern California early Monday, briefly endangering more than two dozen workers aboard the offshore rig.

Emergency crews were able to safely evacuate the 26 workers on Platform Habitat, an operating oil rig about nine miles offshore from Carpinteria, though two minor injuries were reported, according to Petty Officer Kenneth Wiese, a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard.

Images from the scene shared by the U.S. Coast Guard showed firefighting boats blasting streams of water onto the platform, which was shrouded in black and gray smoke around 11:30 a.m. Pacific time Monday.

Calls about a fire or possible explosion on Platform Habitat came in around 7 a.m. Monday, Wiese said. The fire was still not under control as of 11:30 a.m.

“There was and is a fire currently on board that’s being battled,” Wiese said.

Crews from the Ventura and Santa Barbara county fire departments along with Coast Guard personnel were at the scene.

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