Lousy DC team
My son was an ABH (higher trained firefighter for a carrier than DC) in the Navy that served 10 years on a Carrier. Spoke to him about it and his take is that the fire got into the JP5 (jet fuel) and is travelling the lines (which run throughout the ship). I also understand that the ship was being refitted, which means a skeleton crew onboard, plus it started on the weekend when there was a skeleton of the skeleton. I would not cast a lot of shade on the DC crew because if this is what I described, then it would have been a bear even if fully staffed.
Only a skeleton crew of 160 was on board. Civilian contractors were working on the refit.
Weekend Liberty probably meant fewer than 100 crew on board.
Normal Damage Control Teams were probably WAY undermanned, at best.
Were the Fire Suppression Systems Pressurized? Pumps available?