Explosion Reported as Firefighters Battle Blaze on Navy Ship (USS Bonhomme Richard)

nbcsandiego.com ^ | 7/12/2020

[bitt]

An explosion erupted as a roaring blaze was reported on a military assault ship at Naval Base San Diego Sunday morning, according to authorities.

Plumes of smoke arose from USS Bonhomme Richard as firefighters battled the three-alarm blaze on the 3400 block on Senn St. The vessel is an amphibious assault ship homeported in San Diego, according to Krishna Jackson of Naval Base San Diego.

The ship had undergone a regular maintenance cycle before the fire was reported, Jackson said. Crew members typically are aboard the ship on weekends, but there are fewer than on weekdays.

Several sailors are being treated for injuries, according to the San Diego Fire Department. The extent of their injuries is unclear and authorities did not say how many sailors were injured.

It is unclear what sparked the fire.

[ETCM]

The “weather decks”, including the flight deck, are built to shed water and drain over the side. Spraying water from above would have no effect. Even the fire boats have minimal effectiveness, and have spent a lot of time just cooling the hull.

[Repeal The 17th]

What I don’t understand is where the combustion air is coming from.

[ETCM]

So, local news carried a press conference with ADM Sobeck. He said the fire was in the well deck/vehicle platform area. This area does have an AFFF sprinkler system, so I can only assume it was down for some reason. Maybe being worked on by contractors. Also, this space (well deck/vehicle ramps/vehicle platforms) runs about 2/3 the length of the ship.

[A Navy Vet]

"I'm an old Army guy who knows nothing about the Navy...but are there sailors whose MOS (IIRC they're called "ratings" in the Navy) is "firefighter"?"

Close, but in my day (75-87) there was no rating for firefighter. Every single recruit went though fire-fighting training. However, there was what was called, "flying squads" for immediate attack of fires. I could have that term wrong. There were also Boatswains Mates designated for damage control who would back them up once geared up, Don't know how it works today, sure some current Navy can verify or correct me. Again, in my day no fire-fighting rating.

I was and ABF on the flight deck and we practiced all the time for flight deck fires. We had no special rating for those drills.

[deks]

[A Navy Vet]

"Too bad NCIS isn’t like TV with a Gibbs who would have it figured out in a day or two."

That's why I stopped watched NCIS or its spin offs. I actually did some clandestine work for then NIS and the Gibraltar Police to bust a heroin ring. Granted, it was years ago, but under-cover work is still the same no matter the LE agency. It's popular for the characters. My favorite show now is Seal Team.

[deks]

News conference on USS Bonhomme Richard fire [ from ~ 9:30pm EDT]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k0u9149f40

[A Navy Vet]

"Good information. But why are they fighting the fire from the back of the ship to the front and allowing it to spread?"

From the videos I've seen, it look like the fire-fighting boats are try to keep the hull cool so as not ignite other internal flammables. Heat radiation is the enemy of any shipboard fire. Just my guess.

[A Navy Vet]

"The cause was arming the planes before they were ready to launch, a violation of safety procedures. In this case a transient charge set off the missile upon mating the pigtail connector on the pylon."

Thank you. I dislike McCain for many reasons, but it wasn't his aircraft that set off the conflagration. I've seen that disaster many times ever since boot camp. McCain's aircraft was some two planes down and across the deck when that missle went off. It was simply an expected electrical discharge when being loaded under the wing. Has anyone heard of such an incident since? Didn't think so. I'm sick of this conspiracy crap.

This shit happens on ships as we've seen today. Ships are dangerous inside and out. Deal with it.

[mulder1]

Looks like it’s burning black smoke now! It might totally burn??

[A Navy Vet]

"If I remember that movie correctly the missile that started the fire was from John McCains plane."

Bullshit. As much as I didn't like McCain, it DID NOT start from his under-wing missle system while being loaded. It was another aircraft and videos prove it.

[A Navy Vet]

"The missile was a zuni launched from an F-4 opposite deck of McCains plane. The missile hit his centerline fuel tank starting the conflagration. The cause was arming the planes before they were ready to launch, a violation of safety procedures. In this case a transient charge set off the missile upon mating the pigtail connector on the pylon."

Thank you. I am so sick of this myth.

[A Navy Vet]

"A PLA(N) plant? An Iranian plant? We (the West) is at war with COMMUNIST China, or at least COMMUNIST China is at war with the West!

You and so many here have NO idea what you're talking about. What next, BLM/Anfifa? Ships have flammable materials and have fires. The ship crew is trained for it all the time. Unless you've served on a USN ship, you have know idea how dangerous and prone to they are to fire conflagration. STFU and sit back and watch how this plays out.

[A Navy Vet]

Thank you for your definition, but it still doesn't explain the physics between water and AFFF nor halogen for some spaces that the "dude" on street can't understand.

Thank you for your service. You were an airdale with a squadron? That's what I wanted, but got stuck with ABF on the New Orleans (LPH-11). Aviation was all I could get from the recruiter. Didn't have the education at the time in 75 to go air squadron. Still, proud of all my 11 years.

[A Navy Vet]

"A d until such findings its asinee to keep anything off the table just like your post this is 2020 not the 50 or 60s or anyother decade"

Not only can you not write a coherent sentence, and unless you served time on a Navy warship, you have no fucking idea what you're talking about. Like I told another poster, STFU and go play in a sandbox you know something about.

[A Navy Vet]

"One of those rates is “Damage Controlman”.

Didn't know there is such a "rating. I've been gone since 1987. Makes since for ship flying squads as they used to be called.

[A Navy Vet]

"The deck surface is water proof/resistant. An aerial drop will have the same effect as a rain squall."

Plus, it was obviously internal. The average person doesn't understand the mechanisms of ships. They can watch SEAL TEAM or other grunt series/movies and understand the fight. Ships are very complex from their boiler/nuke propulsion to their air supply to their fresh water systems to their electrical currents and on and on. Even the smaller ships are small towns in their own self needs. I haven't even mention the big decks with all their jets...

[A Navy Vet]

"BS ... Just BS They screwed the pooch so bad with the Fire, they have probably screwed the pooch in a couple other areas as well"

What am I missing? The Master At Arms use to always have a small arms locker even when I was in dry-dock in Long Beach. That was many years ago, so things could have changed. That said, this ship was not in dry dock. It was moored to a pier for refit.

[RandallFlagg]

Great.
Those well decks are lined with lots of wood.
Kindling.

[hillarys cankles]

Just saw a report on ABC news that said what crew was on board was evacuated pretty quick. That just sounds odd to this ex sailor. I can’t wait to hear the exact details of this fire. We dealt with a mainspace fire out at sea. We had the ship zipped up tight in record time and fire crews dressed and entering the space To contain the fire in record time but that was with a full crew. I’m trying to imagine a major conflagration in port with just the duty section being able to respond. It would have to be something really really big for the duty section and other available crew that may have been on board to not be able to handle. Maybe they had some major systems tagged out for repair? It’s just sad to see this beautiful ship on fire. I was able to board the USS B.R. In San Francisco for fleet week years and years ago. She was a beauty.