Platform Habitat Fire Evacuates 26 Workers as Gas Leak Ignites Decommissioned SoCal Rig
Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · May 11
Platform Habitat Fire Evacuates 26 Workers as Gas Leak Ignites Decommissioned SoCal Rig
6 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · May 11
A gas leak ignited around 7 a.m. Monday on Platform Habitat, an inactive offshore rig being decommissioned about eight miles off Carpinteria, forcing the evacuation of 26 workers; two suffered minor injuries.
By about 11 a.m., crews had closed a safety valve, stopped the leak and contained the fire, while the Coast Guard set a 1,000-yard safety perimeter and said there was no immediate threat to the public or environment.
Some workers later returned to the platform for additional safety work as Coast Guard, Ventura County and Santa Barbara County responders continued checks for any safety or environmental issues.
The incident hit a platform whose federal lease expired in 2016 and comes amid a broader fight over offshore drilling, with Trump officials pushing expanded California coast leasing and environmental groups citing the fire as another warning.
Why did an inactive platform with an expired lease suddenly catch fire off the California coast?
As thousands of offshore platforms age, will they become vibrant marine reefs or environmental disasters?