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USS Bonhomme Richard LHD-6, is on fire in San Diego right now.

evernoob

evernoob

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Just heard. Fire down in the spaces apparently. That's where all the burny and explodey stuff is stored: Engineering and Magazines.



This looks bad. :frown::eek:

This is a 40,000 ton, 843 foot long aircraft carrier that also carries Marines and their landing craft. It is an All-in-One strike force. Usually combat ships are not loaded with ordnance while in port, or have a modified and reduced loadout, but that is not guaranteed.

This is a boiler-fired conventional ship, so she is fueled by DFM, which is like a diesel/kerosene mix. If it's not DFM, it's something very like it.

From my very out-dated and inexpert opinion, this looks like a fully involved Class B fire (liquid flammables).

There were also explosions reported.

This is the worst of all bad news. Good luck to the Snipes and everyone in the Duty Section.

screen-shot-2020-07-12-at-25034-pm.png
 
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I started going down the thread now....



Using this feed now: https://www.pscp.tv/w/1djGXoyEvgBKZ

3:15 EST - I just heard on the scanner that Sailors running from the pier have definitely reported fuel involved. It is a Class B fire down in the spaces 100%.

3:20 EST - I'm trying to confirm that LHD-6 was in a Restricted Availability, which could be good or bad. She has shipping containers on deck, NBC San Diego says she was in 'maintenance period'. First, she likely has no ammunition on board other than small arms. Second, this could mean there are certain systems disabled, including DC/FF systems. Third, it was probably Hot Work (welding).

3:21 EST - Just heard on the scanner they have AFFF deployed (aqueous film forming foam, to smother a Class B fire). Fuel is involved.

3:28 EST - SDFD has evacuated the pier due to smoke. To me it looks like the fire is getting worse.

3:30 EST - KarlVP confirms the ship is in the Shipyard area. She has a berthing barge nearby (so most of the crew off-duty was not on the ship, just watchstanders), and she has containers on deck. Navy PAO says ship was in SRA. https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/loc...-ship/2363877/ So, no ammunition.

3:35 EST - Another report on SDFD scanner saying 'sailors are running, they say it's gotten to the fuel'. 'Sailors started running away from the ship. It's gotten to the fuel because of the smoke'. It was already a Class B fire.

3:39 EST - I can't believe they haven't moved the Arleigh Burke class DDG from the other side of the pier:eek:

3:41 EST - It looks to me like there is no more black smoke, and less of it from the aft end. Might have gotten it under control.

3:50 EST - The CBS helo feed has ended.

4:06 EST - Heard a few minutes ago all 200 Sailors are accounted for, 11 injured and hospitalized, FoxNews is carrying updates. I have no TV.

4:10 EST - USS Fitzgerald is moving away from the pier. Frankly I can't believe it took this long.

4:13 EST - I'm hearing that the SDFD has said all personnel have abandoned the spaces. This is an outrage. I am not sure I believe that the USN has just abandoned a pier-side LHD.

4:22 EST - I'm using this feed https://twitter.com/engineco16/statu...688998912?s=20

4:23 EST - This feed too https://www.pscp.tv/w/1djGXoyEvgBKZ

4:38EST - There are now huge plumes of black smoke billowing off of the ship.

4:42 EST - Have heard from several sources that AFFF and Halon systems were DISABLED due to yard work. The ship is now burning furiously.

4:46 EST - Black smoke has suddenly abated. I was worried there.

4:56 EST - We've got good Helo feed back https://www.pscp.tv/w/1djGXoyEvgBKZ

5:15 EST - Tweet from official account of Naval Surface Forces Pac Fleet
slF9CqC.jpg


5:52 EST - Video from KarlVP 's buddy : https://streamable.com/01hnkr

This guy has a scanner going, I'm not getting it on Broadcastify



10 Sailors taken to the hospital. First call to SDFD went at 8:54 AM PST.
 
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evernoob said:
I'll update this post to lessen the load on the Mods? Mabye.

3:15 EST - I just heard on the scanner that Sailors running from the pier have definitely reported fuel involved. It is a Class B fire down in the spaces 100%.

3:20 EST - I'm trying to confirm that LHD-6 was in a Restricted Availability, which could be good or bad. She has shipping containers on deck, NBC San Diego says she was in 'maintenance period'. First, she likely has no ammunition on board other than small arms. Second, this could mean there are certain systems disabled, including DC/FF systems. Third, it was probably Hot Work (welding).

10 Sailors taken to the hospital. First call to SDFD went at 8:54 AM PST.
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I'm pretty sure the ship is in an availability. It's down by the shipyard. That's normally where they park the ships getting work done.

If so that's pretty bad news. Most of the fires I've seen in my career have been during yard periods. Most of those are when the shipyard equipment catches fire due to poor maintenance practices.
 
By the looks of everything on the main deck, they were in the middle of doing a lot of work or a major refit.
 
Just talked to a buddy who is on duty on one of the ships down there. He sent me some video. It's fucking crazy.

He heard that the shore power connections caught fire (class charlie fire) and that fire got into the fuel tanks.
 
The fire has grown a lot worse in the last few minutes, huge plumes of thick black smoke.
 
To me it looks like the ship next to it is on fire, it is really raging now. Could be coming off the port side but can't tell.
 
I hope everyone makes it out of there. I never experienced fires in port, just underway so no running away.
 
KarlVP said:
The CBR sprinklers on the DDG next to it might help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkO6eGIx0Eo
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Yeah I didn't see much of the other side, I wish they'd get over there. Dousing the ship with washdown would be an option depending on the state of the DDG. They got the Fitz away though but I think another one is still there. The black smoke has abated and it look a lot more under control now.
 
They said everybody was off and accounted for, so that's good. That fire looks pretty bad, hope they can save her.
Dug up an old picture of some 53's on her flight deck.
HI-AT8.jpeg
 
SanDiegoCJ said:
That sux. :frown: BTW, it's an Amphibious Assault Ship, not an Aircraft Carrier.
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It is, just trying to frame it for non sailors.

LHD-6: Landing Helicopter Dock. This is an older Wasp-class ship, regular deployment includes 6 F-35s, 12 tilt-wing MV-22 Ospreys, and various numbers and types of helicopters.

They can also be configured as a 'Lightning Carrier' with up to 20 F-35 Lightnings. Their sortie rate will be nowhere near a Supercarrier but still quite respectable as the potentially 3rd most powerful Aircraft Carrier in the world after a US CVN and the UK's QE class (45 Lightnings potentially, 25 or so in normal operations).

In her well deck, they can carry 3 LCAC (landing craft air cushion, they're big), or up to 15 landing craft.

1,900 Marines plus 1,100 crew approx.
 
I did repair work on that years and years ago. It was just released to the Navy after some repairs. Just filled with jet fuel.

Talk is they are gonna drag it to sea and call it a total loss.

Crazy.
 
Wheelerfreak said:
Who said it was a carrier? It's and LHD
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I did in my posts above. He was talking to me. I was just saying that so that non-sailors could get an idea of what type of ship and size it is. For fire-fighting purposes, it is an aircraft carrier. Thankfully in maintenance though.

USN says 18 hospitalized non-life-threatening.
 
KarlVP said:
Just talked to a buddy who is on duty on one of the ships down there. He sent me some video. It's fucking crazy.

He heard that the shore power connections caught fire (class charlie fire) and that fire got into the fuel tanks.
Click to expand...


Anyway for you to send me the video?

I worked down at NASSCO and 32nd street for years. I still have my badge and sticker from BHR.

How does the shore power catch fire like that? Nuts.
 
Wheelerfreak said:
Who said it was a carrier? It's and LHD
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From Everboob's post.

This is a 40,000 ton, 843 foot long aircraft carrier that also carries Marines and their landing craft. It is an All-in-One strike force. Usually combat ships are not loaded with ordnance while in port, or have a modified and reduced loadout, but that is not guaranteed.

I guess you didn't bother to read that.
 
TOMS97ZJ said:
I did repair work on that years and years ago. It was just released to the Navy after some repairs. Just filled with jet fuel.

Talk is they are gonna drag it to sea and call it a total loss.

Crazy.
Click to expand...

Nah. Even if that happens, it's way too early to speculate on that. It's not WWII, the Navy doesn't just throw ships in the ocean. If it's a total loss, it would be too damaged for a SINKEX to be worth much (no data on damage because of all of the fire damage), and you can't just throw entire ships out in the ocean anymore, there are regulations. etc etc etc

It looks to be abated quite a bit, and they will have to re-enter the ship to get it under control, no matter what SDFD says. The Chief seems to be talking out his ass.

I can't seriously believe the USN would allow that ship to burn itself out. They're spraying water on the hull to prevent tempering.
 
KarlVP said:
Just talked to a buddy who is on duty on one of the ships down there. He sent me some video. It's fucking crazy.

He heard that the shore power connections caught fire (class charlie fire) and that fire got into the fuel tanks.
Click to expand...

TOMS97ZJ said:
Anyway for you to send me the video?

I worked down at NASSCO and 32nd street for years. I still have my badge and sticker from BHR.

How does the shore power catch fire like that? Nuts.
Click to expand...

My exp with shore power is that they are the most un-maintained, raggedy assed pieces of shit, but because they are so big and robust, there was never a problem with them.

I took the statement to mean everything from the shore-power hook up to the connections from there to the ship's mains. But given the state of shore power cables (busted up insulation, cracks, etc), it's usually not a problem sitting there on deck, even in the rain. If it was loose paper and poor practices involved, I could see a Class C getting out of control. Heads will goddamned roll though, that's negligent as heck.
 
Wheelerfreak said:
They said everybody was off and accounted for, so that's good. That fire looks pretty bad, hope they can save her.
Dug up an old picture of some 53's on her flight deck.
[ATACH]
Click to expand...

Full confession: I'm actually embarrassed that they abandoned ship. Because that's what just happened. I hope they are just recalling everybody to re-enter the vessel and put it out.

If they just let it go, I'm going to get my pipsqueek ass in gear and try to get some accountability. Leaving the vessel to burn is absolutely unacceptable afaic. I am not a hero. You don't just let your ship burn up. This is a scandal.

You'll see a lot of similar sentiment in days to come.

Don't give up the ship.
 
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