HUMAN INTEREST / VIRAL
Workers Rescued From Offshore Drilling Platform After Fire Breaks Out During Decommissioning
Workers were evacuated after a fire broke out Monday on a natural gas platform in the process of being decommissioned offshore California.
The U.S. Coast Guard said the fire started at around 6:30 a.m. Monday aboard Platform Habitat, a non-operational natural gas platform approximately eight miles southwest of Santa Barbara. More than two dozen workers were on board performing decommissioning operations at the time.
Along with the Coast Guard, the Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol and multiple local fire departments responded to the scene. The fire was extinguished by 11:40 a.m.
Of the 26 workers evacuated, two reportedly sustained minor injuries. No other injuries were reported.
The coast Guard said there were no indications of oil being released from the platform and no current impacts to wildlife.
“The safety of personnel and protection of the environment remain the Unified Command’s highest priorities,” said Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Marler, chief of incident management division for Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach. “We are grateful for the interagency coordination amongst all of our partner agencies during this response.”
The Coast Guard said an investigation is underway into the cause of the fire.
“I want to thank the U.S. Coast Guard, Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol, Santa Barbara City Fire Department, and the Santa Barbara and Ventura County Fire Departments for safely evacuating the crew and extinguishing the fire on Platform Habitat,” U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) said in a statement.
“While we await a full investigation into the cause of the fire and any potential environmental impacts, today’s incident serves as a sobering reminder of the inherent risks that offshore drilling poses to our coast,” Carbajal said. “Our community shouldn’t have to gamble with our environment, economy, and public health just to pad the pockets of Big Oil. I will continue to fight any plans to expand offshore drilling in our region, and advocate for alternative energy sources like wind and solar.
