NAVY OFFICIAL: WARSHIP STABLE, FIRE COULD BE OUT IN 24 HOURS

San Diego — Hundreds of sailors have isolated the fire ravaging the USS Bonhomme Richard down to two areas of the warship and a top Navy official said Tuesday it’s possible the blaze could be extinguished over the next 24 hours. Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck said the ship, which has been listing because of the water being poured on it to douse the flames, was stable and the structure was safe, giving a sign that it may still be saved. “We have made significant progress,” he said. Helicopters had dumped 1,200 buckets of water on the amphibious assault vessel, allowing crews to move further on board to fight the blaze. Tugboats were assisting from the waterline. Sobeck said the fire’s threat of moving toward the million gallons of fuel on board had subsided because of the significant progress crews made overnight.