Image Credits: USCG 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. Matthew Marler, chief of incident management division for Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach, said the safety of personnel and protection of the environment remained the main priority during the response operation. Officials said there were no signs of oil being released into the water and no immediate impact on wildlife, the public, or the surrounding environment. Images shared by the Coast Guard showed firefighting vessels spraying water onto the platform while thick black and grey smoke rose from the structure late Monday morning. USCG, SB Harbor Patrol, SB County Fire, SB City Fire & Ventura County Fire are responding to a fire on platform HABITAT 7.5nm off Santa Barbara. All 26 crew evacuated safely. A 1000 yard safety zone is in effect around the platform. Updates will be made as available. pic.twitter.com/kwnlVZghnc — USCG Southwest (@USCGSouthwest) May 11, 2026 Response teams