A fire broke out on an inactive oil platform along Southern California’s coast 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 oil rig about eight miles offshore from Carpinteria, though two minor injuries were reported, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The platform was in the process of being decommissioned when some gas leaked and caught fire around 7 a.m. Monday, according to Petty Officer Richard Uranga, spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard. He said crews were able to close a safety valve, halting the gas leak and limiting the extent of the fire…