If that's not enough all of the planes waiting their turn had their engines pointed away from the ship out over the sea.
Diagram of planes on Forrestal deck.
NS025929.– This diagram was taken from a drawing provided by USS Forrestal and shows the location of CVW-17 aircraft spotted for launch moments before the fire broke out. From "Naval Aviation News," October 1967 issue.
Thank you for the spotting diagram, and thanks to those who pointed out that the A-4 didn’t have an afterburner. Am I correct in my understanding that an afterburner is a necessary prerequisite to executing a wet start? (Not a pilot here)
