According to Business Insider, a US Navy amphibious assault ship was destroyed by fire last summer in part because sailors failed to press a button that could have activated a critical fire-suppression system, the command investigation into the incident found.
In July 2020, the ship was set on fire while pier-side in San Diego for maintenance. The fire burned intensely for four days, damaging the ship to the point that the Navy decided to scrap it rather than repair it.
Former 3rd Fleet commander Vice Adm. Scott Conn said in an investigation report on the fire that "although the fire was started by an act of arson, the ship was lost due to an inability to extinguish the fire." He specifically called attention to how the "inadequately prepared crew" mounted an "ineffective fire response."
3 thoughts on “Report released about the fire aboard USS Bonhomme Richard”
A fire aboard any ship no matter what the size puts the ship in grave danger every time. That is why fire exercises are practiced every day on all Canadian ships whether alongside or at sea. Canada’s sailors are well trained on this important part of their work-day to continuously keep prepared for the reality that may happen at any moment, at any time. The apparent first failure of the BonHomme Richard fire even though it was arson, was a lack of command leadership at the top and within the crew structure. Almost as costly was the lack of crew training by command even during maintenance periods. This disaster was not something that was not seen coming, but something that even a lower class seaman could have seen coming on a Canadian ship if he were well trained. The loss of this ship was definitely preventable if just someone in the Command structure would have “pressed that button” to release a blanket of AFFF foam on several decks. The CO was definitely to blame but the lack of command at all levels from the XO to Department Heads to the Chiefs and Petty Officers and lower seamen Section Leaders also played to the ship’s demise. Give me a well trained Canadian fire fighter team or teams and we could have definitely saved this ship! Constant training and leadership would have been the answer in this incident!
We don’t actually have daily fire exercises at sea, while we do them its not a daily occurrence. Even alongside we do, but plenty of instances when we don’t due to factors out of our control.
The AFFF system was in poor shape on Bonhomme Richard but unfortunately shore power was isolated to the ship and no amount of button pushing would of helped as the AFFF and firemain system was inoperable.
Still, extremely poor command structure and little or no leadership at so many levels. The safety officer on board the Bonhomme Richard should have at least pointed out to command the the risks of not having the firemains on line at least and AFFF in case of emergencies. The crew had nothing to fight the fire with! A sad state of affairs.