Four people were safely evacuated from a drilling platform in Cook Inlet that caught fire Thursday morning.
The fire on the Baker platform, located about 8 miles offshore of Nikiski and owned by Hilcorp, was reported shortly after 8 a.m. Hilcorp spokesperson Lori Nelson says the platform was in production mode, but shut down quickly.
The Baker platform had solely gas production and it was only from one well, which was shut in, as well as any access to the pipeline system,” Nelson said. “There will be an internal and external investigation once the fire is out and it’s been determined safe for folks to be on that platform again.”
The platform holds 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel, but none had been spilled, according to the Unified Command that was established to respond to the incident.
Aerial photos show the living quarters of the platform fully engulfed in flames, which had been largely contained by early afternoon.
The four personnel working the platform were evacuated by helicopter.
The U.S. Coast Guard has established a no-fly safety zone at 5,000 feet and a two-mile maritime safety zone around the scene.
Shaylon Cochran is a host and reporter at KDLL in Kenai. He’s reported on fishing, energy, agriculture and local politics since coming to Alaska in 2011. He has worked at KDLL/KBBI on the Kenai Peninsula, where he picked up lots of new hobbies, like smoking salmon, raising chickens, skiing and counting RV’s. He holds a bachelors degree in Journalism from Iowa State University.
