Blaze continues to rage on USS Bonhomme Richard nearly 24 hours after the fire; nearly 60 injured

WASHINGTON – Firefighters, backed by helicopters, are still battling the blaze raging aboard the Navy’s USS Bonhomme Richard Monday, nearly 24 hours after flames were first reported at its pier in San Diego.

The fire and efforts to contain it have injured 57 sailors and firefighters. Most of the injuries have been minor, including heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation. Five personnel remain hospitalized in stable condition.

“We’re still using helos to dump water,” Lt. Cdr. Nicole Schwegman, a Navy spokeswoman, said Monday. 

It’s unclear how long it will take to control the fire. 

The cause of the fire aboard Bonhomme Richard, an amphibious assault vessel, is unknown, according to the Navy. The ship was undergoing maintenance when the fire broke out. All crew members have been accounted for.

Sailors reported the fire at about 8:30 a.m. Pacific time Sunday. Firefighters from the Navy and local departments have worked in shifts to deal with extreme heat. Tug boats poured water onto the vessel, and two helicopters scooped buckets from the sea and dropped them aboard.

The fire is believed to have started far below deck in a vast area that holds equipment for the Marine Corps, Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck told reporters Sunday at a news conference. The one million gallons of fuel on board are not threatened by the flames or heat, he said.

The Navy sent two destroyers, the USS Fitzgerald and Russell, away from their berths to avoid damage.

The Bonhomme Richard, the third ship with that name in Navy history, was commissioned in 1998 and its full crew is about 1,000 sailors. The ship can carry helicopters and fixed-wing warplanes.

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