A fire broke out aboard Platform Habitat off the Southern California coast on Monday morning while workers were carrying out decommissioning operations on the offshore natural gas platform.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the incident occurred at around 6:30 a.m. aboard the non-operational platform located roughly eight miles southwest of Santa Barbara and near Carpinteria in the Santa Barbara Channel.
Officials said workers were conducting decommissioning operations when a gas leak caught fire onboard the ageing offshore structure.
Emergency crews safely evacuated all 26 workers from the platform, while two people suffered minor injuries.
Petty Officer Richard Uranga of the U.S. Coast Guard said crews managed to close a safety valve, which stopped the gas leak and helped limit the spread of the fire.
The fire was extinguished at approximately 11:40 a.m., according to Coast Guard officials.
However, authorities maintained a 1,000-yard safety zone around the platform while responders continued checks for possible environmental or safety risks.
Lt. Cmdr.
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