Warship inferno
21 hurt as blaze erupts on Navy vessel in San Diego
An explosion and fire on board a Navy ship in San Diego on Sunday sent more than 20 people to the hospital, officials said.
Plumes of thick, grey and white smoke billowed from the USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego as firefighters battled the three-alarm blaze.
As the inferno raged, a loud blast was heard coming from the 840foot-long amphibious assault ship, KNSD-TV reported.
The Naval Surface Forces said 17 sailors and four civilians were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at local hospitals.
Officials said at least one person was treated for smoke inhalation.
The ship could burn for days, “down to the water line,” San Diego Fire-Rescue Chief Colin Stowell told CNN.
The fire was reported shortly before 9 a.m., but smoke continued to fill and darken the sky for hours afterward.
At least 150 firefighters were assigned to beat back the flames, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue Department officials.
All other vessels docked at the port were directed to assist in firefighting efforts, said Mike Raney, a Navy spokesman.
The Bonhomme Richard, whose home port is Naval Base San Diego, had been undergoing routine maintenance there when the fire broke out, according to Krishna Jackson, the base’s public information officer.
About 160 sailors and officers were on board at the time. During active duty, the vessel typically carries more than 1,000 sailors.
All sailors aboard the ship Sunday were evacuated and accounted for.
The explosion occurred just as personnel were leaving the ship, said Stowell.
Two guided-missile destroyers — the USS Fitzgerald and the USS Russell — had been moored near the Bonhomme Richard when the fire broke out but had been moved away from the burning vessel by early afternoon, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
It wasn’t immediately clear where on the ship the fire or explosion was sparked.
The cause of the blaze was under investigation, and the extent of the damage was not known as of Sunday evening.
The vessel has the capacity to deploy and land helicopters, smaller boats and amphibious vehicles.