Emergency crews responded Monday morning after a fire broke out aboard an inactive offshore oil platform in the Santa Barbara Channel, prompting the evacuation of 26 workers and renewing attention on aging offshore infrastructure along the California coast.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the incident occurred around 7:00 a.m. aboard Platform Habitat, an offshore oil platform located approximately eight miles off the coast of Carpinteria. The platform, which has been inactive for years, was in the process of being decommissioned when a gas leak reportedly ignited.
All 26 workers aboard the platform were safely evacuated during the incident, though officials reported that two individuals sustained minor injuries.
Petty Officer Richard Uranga of the U.S. Coast Guard stated that crews were able to shut a safety valve connected to the leak, helping contain the fire and prevent the situation from escalating further. By approximately 11:00 a.m., officials said the fire had been secured.
Images released by the Coast Guard showed firefighting vessels surrounding the platform while spraying water onto the structure as thick black and gray smoke rose into the air. Ventura County and Santa Barbara County fire crews also assisted in the response.
Even after the fire was contained, the Coast Guard maintained a 1,000-yard safety perimeter around the platform while environmental and safety assessments continued.
As of Monday afternoon, officials reported there was no immediate threat to public safety or the surrounding marine environment. Some workers later returned to the platform to continue safety-related operations connected to the incident.
Platform Habitat, also known as the Pitas Point Unit, sits in federal waters within the Santa Barbara Channel. Built in 1981, the platform began producing oil and natural gas in 1983, according to federal records from the U.S. Department of the Interior. Its federal lease expired in 2016, and the structure has since entered the decommissioning process.
The platform is operated by DCOR LLC, a West Coast-based oil and gas company.
Federal production records show that throughout its operational life, Platform Habitat primarily produced natural gas, generating more than 232 million cubic feet, while crude oil production totaled fewer than 250,000 barrels.
The incident arrives amid ongoing debates surrounding offshore oil production and decommissioning efforts along California’s coastline. In recent years, attention has increasingly shifted toward aging offshore infrastructure, environmental risks, and the long-term future of oil platforms in state and federal waters.
The Santa Barbara Channel remains one of the most historically significant regions for offshore oil production on the West Coast, but it also carries a long memory of environmental disasters, including the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill and the 2015 Refugio oil spill, both of which dramatically shaped public perception of offshore drilling in California.
Environmental organizations pointed to Monday’s fire as another example of the challenges and risks associated with offshore oil operations, even during the decommissioning phase.
For mariners and boaters operating in the area, the Coast Guard advised vessels to remain clear of the active response zone while crews continued monitoring conditions around the platform.
Officials have not yet released additional details regarding the exact cause of the gas leak or whether further investigation will follow.
