San Diego (AP) – The USS Bonhomme Richard has extensive structural, electrical and mechanical damage, a senior naval chief said Friday after walking into the bowels of the charred warship that burned for more than four days in San Diego.
Chief Admiral of Naval Operations Mike Gilday promised a thorough investigation into the worst fire of an out-of-combat American warship in recent memory. He said the probe will analyze what caused the fire, as well as whether there were enough sailors on duty when it happened and the circumstances surrounding why a firefighting system was deactivated when the fire broke out early Sunday morning while the ship was docked in maintenance.
The uniformed chief of the US Navy said he intends to make the results public.
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“We have to go through this, catalog everything and understand if we had it right,” he said. “And if not, how we quickly adjust through the fleet to make sure it doesn’t happen again.” ? “
Gilday on Friday was four decks below the flight deck, and then climbed above the flight deck and examined the ship’s superstructure.
“I was able to get a good idea of the damage and the damage is extensive,” he said.
The future of the ship remains uncertain.
“I am 100% sure that our defense industry can return this ship to the sea, but having said that, the question is, should we make that investment in a 22 year old ship?” Gilday asked, adding that he is not doing any predictions at this point.
Amphibious assault ships are among the few in the American fleet that can act as a mini-aircraft carrier. If the Bonhomme Richard is not repaired, it could cost the Navy up to $ 4 billion to replace it, according to defense analysts.
The Bonhomme Richard was nearing the end of a two-year update that is estimated to cost $ 250 million.
Gilday said the Navy thought it had the fire under control Sunday night, just hours after it broke out that morning in the ship’s lower storage area, where cardboard boxes, rags and other maintenance supplies were stored. But the winds coming from the San Diego Bay lit the flames and the fire spread the elevator shafts and the exhaust piles.
Then two explosions, one heard 21 kilometers (13 miles) away, caused it to grow further, Gilday said. The Navy is investigating what caused the blasts, though authorities say they have yet to find any indication of foul play.
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Gilday said it appears that the commanding officer who removed the sailors from the ship after the explosions made “some very wise decisions in terms of how to attack the fire very deliberately.” He praised the sailors who all train with the fire departments and repeatedly returned to the smoky, dark boat with temperatures rising in parts above 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Industry experts will also examine the ship, including the design, which according to Navy officials could have contributed to the fire spiraling out of control with its hangar-shaped well cover.
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The difficulty in fighting the flames was exacerbated by scaffolding, along with other maintenance equipment and debris in the path of the fire department.
More than 60 sailors and civilians have been treated for minor injuries, heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation since Sunday.
The Navy will analyze the ship’s procedures to mitigate risks while it was docked for maintenance work, which often involves opening hatches, pulling cables, welding, etc., increasing the threat of a fire. Those procedures are resolved with the ship commander and federal fire officials for each individual ship.
Meanwhile, the Navy is taking steps to prevent another tragedy. Over the next five days, all officers in command of the Navy are asked to ensure that their ship’s equipment is safe, that sailors are up-to-date on their firefighting training and that “our procedures are tested so that we can all learn from this tragedy. ” ,” he said.
For the sailors who have been deployed to the Bonhomme Richard, seeing the blackened ship has been “a brutal blow” and feels like losing their home, Gilday said.
“For each of them, it is a personal loss,” he said.
