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Hundreds of sailors fought to prevent flames from reaching the tanks with 3.7 million. liters of oil on the Wasp-class ship USS Bonhomme Richard. The US Coast Guard has hired a team of oil refining experts to install a floating barrier to prevent the spread of contaminants in the event of an oil spill. In addition, within a radius of one nautical mile (1,852 m) around the burning ship, shipping and flights were prohibited.
Clouds of dead smoke hung over San Diego, and health officials urged people to stay indoors if they could smell the smoke.
The fire on the ship, which has become one of the largest such incidents in the US Navy in recent years, started on Sunday morning. A total of 59 people, 36 sailors and 23 civilians, needed medical help for overheating, smoke poisoning and minor injuries. Five people were hospitalized to monitor their condition, but were later released.
Rear Admiral Philip Sobeck said the flame temperature reached 1,000 degrees Celsius. According to him, the ship’s mast fell, and the central superstructure from which the ship is operated was also in danger. The military noted that there are currently around two decks that separate the flame and oil tanks from the ship.
The water poured into the Bonhomme Richard in an attempt to suppress the flames has tipped the 255-meter-long ship, but crews are now pumping the accumulated water overboard.
Pasak Ph. Sobeck, it is still too early to stop fighting in an effort to save a 23-year-old ship that has been under repair in San Diego since 2018.
“There were 400 sailors on board the last day in an effort to make sure we did everything we could to save this ship,” said Ph. Sobeckas, commander of 3rd Expeditionary Strike Group.
Navy Division Captain Lawrence B. Brennan, who currently teaches international maritime law at Fordham University in New York, said there was a risk of the ship’s hull breaking. In this case, a large amount of oil could be spilled and the fleet would have to deal with the consequences of a major ecological accident.
“If a million gallons of oil ends up at the bottom of a San Diego port and cannot be safely disposed of, we are talking about billions of dollars in environmental damage,” said Brennan.
The fire broke out in the Bonhomme Richard’s lower cargo compartment, which contains floating tanks and smaller landing craft. His original fireplace is believed to have been in its place where cardboard boxes, rags and other accessories were kept, Ph. Sobeckas
The ship’s fire suppression system was closed at that time due to repairs. This system uses Halon liquefied and compressed gas, which suppresses flames and prevents them from spreading.
Sailors poured water over the flames on the ship and in the marina, but were forced to retreat when they were further enraged. Local and federal fire brigades were called in to help, but all 160 people had to be evacuated from the ship due to the high heat, Ph. Sobeckas
According to L. Brennan, it is common for the Halon system to shut down during repairs and maintenance on board, as the gas it uses can be dangerous to people. However, the fact that the flames spread abruptly and abruptly shows that the fleet did not take sufficient measures to compensate for the extinguishing of the firefighting system and that “there were no firefighters bulkheads that malfunctioned or malfunctioned,” noted the captain.
“The fire covered almost all the spaces of the ship. The problem is even bigger because I keep learning that there were flammable materials in many places: boat repair company equipment, rags, cloth, he said. – Boat fires often do a lot of damage, but in most cases they are not catastrophic. They are not usually so unmanageable. “
Ph. Sobeck said there was no ammunition on board. The Rear Admiral also said he did not believe it contained any toxic substances.
Firefighters attempted to fight the flames in Bonhomme Richard units; the water was poured by fire boats and helicopters.
Wasp-class landing craft can land thousands of Marines, transport helicopters and aircraft that do not require a long runway, small landing craft, and amphibians.
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