Offshore Platform Habitat Catches Fire Off Summerland Play

An offshore petroleum platform 50 miles up the coast from Malibu caught fire yesterday. The Coast Guard says no oil was released into the water.

Platform Habitat is off the coast from Summerland, just downcoast from Montecito and Santa Barbara. It burst into flames at 6:30 yesterday morning as a crew of 26 people were on board, working to take it apart.

Most of the offshore oil platforms up the coast from Malibu are played out, and many are being removed now. Platform Habitat sits in federal waters. The oil company that runs the platform is in the process of decommissioning its 20 wells, which produced methane gas marketed as natural gas.

The U.S. Coast Guard says "There are currently no indications of oil being released from the platform into the water, and no current impacts to wildlife or the public."

Firefighters from the cities and counties of Ventura and Santa Barbara helped put out the fire. There were two minor injuries to crew members during the evacuation process.

The cause of the incident is still under investigation.