The fires aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard are said to be contained. The blaze, which started Sunday, caused significant damage to the ship. As firefighters battled the blaze, the 40,000-ton ship listed toward both its port and starboard sides, the Navy said, likely due to the massive quantities of water poured into the hull.
The Navy said there are sailors aboard, searching for hotspots and inspecting the damage. Officials with Naval Surface Force Pacific say it will launch an official investigation once every space is checked and it’s determined there are no longer any active fires.
“We did not know the origin of the fire,” said Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group Three. “We do not know the extent of the damage. It is too early to make any predictions or promises of what the future of the ship will be. “We cannot make any conclusions until the investigation is complete,” he added.
Sixty-three people — 40 sailors and 23 civilians — were hurt battling the fire, which at points topped 1,000 degrees. Teams from across several Navy commands and the San Diego Fire Department fought the blaze for days. They did so inside the ship, from the pier, and in nearby boats and helicopters.
Related: BREAKING BONHOMME RICHARD ON FIRE
“We do not know the extent of the damage… We cannot make any conclusions until the investigation is complete,” Rear Adm. Philip E. Sobeck, the commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3 said. The ship, commissioned in 1998, is about halfway through its expected lifespan. Repairing it would likely take months and cost hundreds of millions of dollars, Navy officials said.