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Firefighters responding to fire on board a ship at Naval Base San Diego
USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) on fire.
Authorities were working to put out a fire of unreported cause on the USS Bonhomme Richard.
According to authorities, an explosion erupted as a roaring blaze was reported on a military assault ship at Naval Base San Diego Sunday morning, .
Plumes of smoke arose from USS Bonhomme Richard as firefighters battled the three-alarm blaze on the 3400 block on Senn St. The vessel is an amphibious assault ship homeported in San Diego, according to Krishna Jackson of Naval Base San Diego.
The ship has light arms but would not normally have large artillery on board while docked, she said.
Several sailors were being treated for “a variety of injuries” after a fire and explosion aboard the U.S.S. Bonhomme, fire officials said.
The sailors assigned to it were staying in Navy or private housing on shore and were not on board when the fire started, she said.
Military ship fire at US Navy Base in San Diego
DEVELOPING: Firefighters responding to fire on board a ship at Naval Base San Diego. https://abcn.ws/2OfzYsf
Posted by ABC News on Sunday, July 12, 2020
Smoke from #shipfire aboard #USSBonhommeRichard finally appears to be thinning out #USNavy pic.twitter.com/9jOTZrebpj
— Allison Ash (@AllisonAshNBC7) July 12, 2020
The ship had undergone a regular maintenance cycle before the fire was reported, Jackson said. Crew members typically are aboard the ship on weekends, but there are fewer than there are on weekdays.
Federal firefighters requested assistance from the San Diego Fire Department at about 9 a.m. All SDFD personnel has been accounted for as of 11:19 a.m., the department said.
A “duty section” of sailors trained to fight fires was on board when the fire started, she said, and they were the first to respond.
The San Diego Fire Department was working with the Navy to fight the fire, a spokeswoman for the department said.
It was not immediately clear how the fire started.
The U.S.S. Bonhomme Richard is an assault-style ship outfitted to carry landing craft to transport equipment and troops as well as landing boats.
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BREAKING! Loud explosion just heard from inferno aboard #Navy ship #USSBonhommeRichard pic.twitter.com/HuK12iC9BI
— Allison Ash (@AllisonAshNBC7) July 12, 2020
About USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) from wikipedia
USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, and the third ship of the United States Navy to bear the name.[2] She was named in honor of John Paul Jones’ famous frigate, which he had named in French “Good Man Richard,” in honor of Benjamin Franklin, the U.S. Ambassador to France at the time; “Richard” is derived from Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac.
The primary mission of Bonhomme Richard is to embark, deploy and land elements of a Marine landing force in amphibious assault operations by helicopter, landing craft and amphibious vehicle, and if needed, to act as a light aircraft carrier.
Bonhomme Richard is currently in active service and is the flagship for Expeditionary Strike Group
Sources: – nbcsandiego – ABC – NYT – wavy.com –
By Alex Ammohostianos
