Fire on USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego - Large Amphibious Ship - Sabotage?

a reply to: Bigburgh

Looks like they did bring in several Navy birds with buckets to help once it reached a point they could help more than just cooling the deck.

a reply to: panoz77

I live in DT San Diego. Smells like a nasty toxic electrical fire everywhere all through he city. I'm pretty sure the fumes are toxic. Yesterday was oppressively humid and hot. Not a good day to weld.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Updated live feed

A sailor stationed on the ship is being investigated for arson.

www.nytimes.com...

There aren't any good options for the Navy at this point. There are four investigations going on, including damage assessment, and unconfirmed early estimates are $1.5B for repairs. There's talk that they're going to have to, at least, rebuild the ship from the hangar deck up, and replace entire sections of hull. With the current shipyard construction rate, it's going to be difficult to slot in both building new hull sections and repairs. Ideas being tossed around, if the repairs go forward, include building sections of hull, and floating them through the Panama Canal to the West Coast, where they'll do the repairs in San Diego, or possibly floating the Bonnie Dick through the Panama Canal to Huntington Ingalls in Mississippi and doing the repairs there. Other possibilities are a new America Class hull to replace her, or repairing the flight and hangar deck, and not repairing the well deck, and using her for testing with the F-35 for other ships of the class, and the America class.

www.defensenews.com...

The Navy officially decommissioned the USS Bonhomme Richard today. Her island has been removed, and they're preparing to tow her to Texas for scrapping.

She left the yards today under tow, for Texas.

a reply to: Ithinkmyfamilyisdead

There have been several fires in yards over the last few years. The last really big one though was the Miami, but that was in 2012.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Ithinkmyfamilyisdead

There have been several fires in yards over the last few years. The last really big one though was the Miami, but that was in 2012.

I think elements within the Navy are doing this. There are always injured sailors too and I think conflicts occur with fires being consequential.

Everything is f*cked.

a reply to: Ithinkmyfamilyisdead

The fire on the Miami was a shipyard worker who wanted to go home early that day, and suffered anxiety among other things. Most have nothing to do with "elements within the Navy" and a lot to do with not having proper fire watches, minimal crew on board, spaces wide open for work, no automatic firefighting systems, and doing stupid things like piling flammable material near where you're welding. Some may be deliberately set, but a number of shipyards were caught cutting corners on fire watches, which were being stood by civilian employees, and safety practices.

The Navy has hired a cadre of fire marshals to evaluate firefighting training and protocols while in port and shipyards. A command investigation has been completed and is being reviewed, but hasn't been made public. An NCIS investigation is ongoing.

www.stripes.com...

A San Diego based sailor, that was assigned to the USS Bonhomme Richard has been criminally charged with starting the fire.

www.sandiegouniontribune.com...

According to an affidavit filed by an NCIS agent, Seaman Apprentice Ryan Sawyer Mays is believed to have started the fire. He is a 20 year old undesignated Seaman that was assigned to the Bonhomme Richard. According to the affidavit, Mays joined the Navy in September of 2019, and attempted Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training in October 2019. He Dropped On Request after five days, and was assigned to the Bonhomme Richard.

Investigators found a bottle in the Lower V (lower vehicle storage) that tested positive for heavy petroleum distillate. The three firefighting stations around the area were rendered inoperable. An inspection of the area two days prior didn't make any mention of the stations being inoperable, and a DCA said that it was "nearly impossible" that they weren't checked. A man with the same height and build as Mays was seen walking towards the vehicle storage area shortly before the fire started. He also used a saying that Mays was known to say. He was also the only sailor to report a burning fuel/rubbery smell during the fire.

taskandpurpose.com...