As I reported yesterday, the USS Bonhomme Richard caught fire while alongside at San Diego around 0830 PDT. Firefighting efforts continue at this hour, and are expected to last the next several days. The cause of the fire onboard the 844 foot amphibious assault ship is still unknown.
The fire apparently broke out in the ship’s lower vehicle storage area according to Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3.
Throughout Sunday night and into Monday morning, helicopters from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Three dropped buckets of water on the ship. Tug boats also sprayed water on the ship from the bay, while all ships in port were directed to assist with the effort, the Navy said.
Federal and Navy firefighters took turns battling the blaze as they worked to “find the seat of the fire and extinguish it,” said Federal Fire San Diego Division Chief Rob Bondurant around 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Related: BREAKING: BONHOMME RICHARD ON FIRE
Thirty-four sailors and 23 civilians have been treated for minor injuries, including heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation, from the fire aboard the San Diego-based amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard which began Sunday morning, the Navy said.
Five sailors remain in the hospital and are in stable condition, Naval Surface Forces for the Pacific Fleet tweeted on Monday.
“We’re absolutely going to make sure it sails again,” Sobeck told reporters early Sunday evening. “Right now we’re fighting the fire and then we’ll work on understanding what exactly happened with the fire and where it went, make sure she sails as best as possible … she was in a stage of repair anyway, so we’ll get right back at it once we get this thing contained.”
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday called the incident “a terrible tragedy.”
“We are grateful for the quick and immediate response of local, base, and shipboard firefighters aboard USS Bonhomme Richard,” he said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with our BHR Sailors, their families, and our emergency responders who continue to fight the fire. Godspeed.”