[Melian]

Breaking: Explosion at the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard.

[bitt]

https://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3864259/posts?page=1

Explosion Reported as Firefighters Battle Blaze on Navy Ship (USS Bonhomme Richard)
nbcsandiego.com ^ | 7/12/2020

[LonePalm]

OK, looked at some of the pictures. I am not familiar with the exact deck layout of the class. Black smoke is bad, incomplete combustion. White smoke is worse, there might be raw fuel mixed in with the smoke.

Smoke seems to be coming off the hanger deck. My initial guess is that aviation POL (Petroleum, Oil, & Lubricants) is involved. The ship's fuel is below the waterline. Likewise for aviation ordinance magazines if there is any onboard at the moment.

I'm not sure why the ship's company was evacuated from the ship. The should have the most knowledgeable fight-fighters available.

WWG1WGA

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)