Oil rig off Southern California coast catches fire, dozens of workers evacuated, officials say
Key takeaways
- A fire broke out on an oil platform off the coast of Southern California early Monday, briefly endangering more than two dozen workers aboard the offshore rig.
- Coast Guard showed firefighting boats blasting streams of water onto the platform, which was shrouded in black and gray smoke around 11:30 a.m.
- Calls about a fire or possible explosion on Platform Habitat came in around 7 a.m.
All 26 workers were safely evacuated from Platform Habitat off the shore of Carpinteria on Monday. (U.S. Coast Guard) By Grace Toohey Staff Writer Follow May 11, 2026 11:43 AM PT 3 1 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
A fire broke out on an oil platform off the coast of Southern California 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 nine miles offshore from Carpinteria, though two minor injuries were reported, according to Petty Officer Kenneth Wiese, a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard.