The Coast Guard said its boat and helicopter crews responded, and the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Baywatch Avalon brought the pair to Santa Catalina Island.
A Mercy Air helicopter crew then flew them to the Torrance Hospital Burn Victim Unit.
The Coast Guard towed the vessel back to Avalon.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Arson division is investigating the cause of the explosion, but there were no reports of environmental damage or pollution.