Two days after a still-burning fire erupted aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego, the commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3 on Tuesday said it was simply too early to tell if the ship could be salvaged.
The fire, which broke out Sunday morning in a storage area on the lower decks, resulted in 38 sailors and 23 civilian workers being treated for minor injuries such as heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation, said Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck. The Bonhomme Richard is one of the ships under his supervision.
At a Tuesday press conference, Rear Adm. Sobeck said there were signs of hope the amphibious assault ship could be saved.
“We have investigated the four main engineering spaces and found no major damage. There is no threat to the fuel tanks, which are well below any active fires or heat sources,” he said. “The ship is stable and the structure is safe.”
Navy helicopters dropped more than 1,000 buckets of water on the superstructure and the flight deck of the Bonhomme Richard, making it possible for firefighters to make their way into the ship where at least two fires were still burning.
“I’m proud of the toughness of the sailors and federal firefighters for making this significant progress possible,” Rear Adm. Sobeck said. “For more than 48 hours, brave sailors from commands all across San Diego have been working tirelessly alongside (federal firefighters) to get this fire under control.”
After an explosion, the fire reached the open hangar bay area of the Bonhomme Richard and quickly spread throughout the ship. By Tuesday, the firefighters had isolated the flames to two main areas.
“The challenges remaining are getting that fire out completely,” Rear Adm. Sobeck said.
Once the major hot spots are extinguished, firefighting crews will go through each compartment to ensure there is no possibility of a flare up, Navy officials said.
The Navy will conduct a complete and thorough investigation to determine how the fire started, Rear Adm. Sobeck said.
“But right now, our focus remains on putting out the fire and keeping people safe,” he said.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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