Navy probe finds major failures in fire that destroyed ship

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By LOLITA C. BALDOR

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Navy report has concluded there were sweeping failures by commanders, crew members and others that fueled the July 2020 arson fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard, calling the massive five-day blaze in San Diego preventable and unacceptable.

While one sailor has been charged with setting the fire, the more than 400-page report, obtained by The Associated Press, lists three dozen officers and sailors whose failings either directly led to the ship’s loss or contributed to it. The findings detailed widespread lapses in training, coordination, communication, fire preparedness, equipment maintenance and overall command and control.

“Although the fire was started by an act of arson, the ship was lost due to an inability to extinguish the fire,” the report said, concluding that “repeated failures” by an “inadequately prepared crew” delivered “an ineffective fire response.”

It slammed commanders of the amphibious assault ship for poor oversight, and said the main firefighting foam system wasn’t used because it hadn’t been maintained properly and the crew didn’t know how to use it.



FILE - In this July 12, 2020, file photo, smoke rises from the USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego in San Diego, after an explosion and fire on board the ship at Naval Base San Diego. A Navy report has concluded there were sweeping failures by commanders, crew members and others that fueled the July 2020 arson fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard, calling the massive five-day blaze in San Diego preventable and unacceptable. While one sailor has been charged with setting the fire, the more than 400-page report, obtained by The Associated Press, lists three dozen officers and sailors whose failings either directly led to the ship's loss or contributed to it. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy, File)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/navy-probe-major-failures-fire-destroyed-ship-2ba10fc8e4029771e3b6944a33622b1f

[OneCrazyDiamond]

1. Thankfully they weren't underway.

[PerceptionManagement]

2. I wonder if the Navy puts the 'B' team in charge of it's amphibious fleet

Like, working with the Marines is second to working with the Deep Blue Navy. Anyone know?

[Martin68]

3. The Navy is not supposed to have a "B Team."

[NickB79]

4. First rule of having a B team

Never admit you have a B team 🤣

[Angleae]

5. A good chunk of the amphib fleet command ranks are aviators.

They go through surface warfare training later in their career for a carrier command track (late Lt(O-3) or early LtCmdr(O-4)). From the picture I found of Bonhomme Richard's CO, he's one of them.

[Permanut]

6. This Navy veteran from a different era..

Trained in firefighting from day one in boot camp in the 60's. It was made clear to us that no help would be available when we're underway.

Had to put out fires on base using shipboard style equipment.

It had been emphasized that the "good air" was on the deck; when my company was sent into a burning building to put out the fire, the training instructor stood outside and yelled instructions and questions. When he asked "Where's the good air?", one of our guys shouted back "Outside, Sir!".


So we had to do the whole thing over. Whoever it was that shouted "Outside, Sir!" never fessed up to it, and we couldn't tell who it was because it was dark and smoky in there.

After boot camp I was assigned to the Destroyer USS Sampson, DDG-10. All the time I was on that boat we had regular drills, and we knew we were on our own.

[70sEraVet]

8. I was in boot camp in the early '70s, and I recall the firefighting drills

The instructor wanted us to TASTE the foam that they sprayed on the fires. I have no idea why. Myself and several others faked tasting it, and just made the same gagging noises the others made.

[Permanut]

10. Missed out on the foam tasting..

Gosh, the memories.

[70sEraVet]

7. If the Navy had a way to sink ships that were on fire

Perhaps done remotely, then the ships would be salvageable.
I'm reminded of the ships that were attacked and sunk in Pearl Harbor; because they were sunk in shallow water shortly after being bombed, they were easily refloated and were quickly repaired and put back in service.
I had read that it would cost $4 billion to replace the ship today.

I am not oblivious to the danger of sailors in such a scenario. I worked in the boiler rooms of two WWII era ships. If anything went wrong, we'd be the first to be injured, and the last ones off the ship.
Thank g-d there were no serious injuries in this fire.

[Ford_Prefect]

9. A ship is an integrated structure. When you have a fire a severe as this was many different elements

are affected by it. One estimate said it would make more operational sense to build from a new keel than to repair some of what had been destroyed or damaged by the fire. That you'd not get a whole ship when you were done, rather a bunch of sections welded together which wouldn't perform as a whole.

[hardluck]

11. For anyone wanting to see how the ships at Pearl Harbor were raised...

[Shellback Squid]

12. when you are at sea you have no way to escape a fire

this was preventable

[pecosbob]

13. What makes/made the U.S. Navy the best in the world is/was it's damage control

The AFFF systems were maintained to a fault while I was on Nimitz in the late 70s. Half our lives were damage control drills and equipment maintenance. Those responsible should be taken to task.