Fire Continues to Burn on USS Bonhomme Richard

According to a Monday afternoon update from Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, Commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3, the ship is currently stable and the structure itself remains safe. However, fire is still active and continues to be fought from both within and outside the ship from multiple access points.

“First, we have investigated the four main engineering spaces and found no major damage. There is no threat to the fuel tanks, which is well-below any active fires or heat sources,” said Rear Adm. Sobeck.

“HSC 3 helicopters have conducted more than 1,000 helicopter water bucket drops, which is cooling the super structure and flight deck enabling fire crews to get onboard internally to fight the fire. Tugs are also provide firefighting support from the waterline. I’m proud of the toughness of the Sailors and Federal Firefighters for making this significant progress possible,” Sobeck added.

As it stands currently, 61 personnel, including 38 U.S. Navy Sailors and 23 civilians, have been treated for minor injuries including heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation. None of the personnel are hospitalized at this time.

“Going forward, the Navy will do a thorough investigation of the incident to include assessing the cause of the fire and damage to the ship, but right now our focus remains on putting out the fire and keeping people safe,” said Sobeck. “I’d like to also thank our partners from state and county as well as the Coast Guard for monitoring the potential impacts to the environment. As we continue to fight the fire, we remain cognizant of environmental concerns regarding the water and air quality.

Sailors first reported a fire aboard the wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) while it was moored pier side at Naval Base San Diego on Saturday, July 12, at approximately 11:30 a.m. eastern daylight time. At approximately 4:00 p.m. the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) and USS Russell (DDG 59) shifted berths to a pier further away from the fire.

Photos published by the Navy show the extent of the damage observed so far:

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