Triple plus ungood.
She's gone, for at least a year, even if they get the fire out before the aviation fuel tanks explode.
She just came out of a scheduled maintenance period.
So I'm unsure if there is an Air Group assigned or if the AVGas tanks and weapons magazines are loaded.
"explosions on board"
Magazines were loaded.
===
1 SDFD reported injured.
SDFD reporting fire is out...
Fire is not out.
===
I count one Burke class DDG tied up on the opposite side of that pier.
In the close area, at least 5 LCS (both classes) boats. Two attack transports. One other Amphib (baby carrier).
Air Group was not loaded, still has shipping containers all over the deck.
===
Fire boats are hosing down the ships hull opposite the magazines.
SDFD withdrew, but the USN damage control teams are still onboard, still fighting.
That's what they do.
There are two Burke class DDG's tied up on the other side of that pier.
===
No indications of any attempts to move other ships out of the area. Spill boom is still up.
Fire seems contained to the main hanger deck.
Won't know for sure for a while.
===edit: never mind. Large amounts of black smoke coming from aft.
*SAM* systems...
===
One or both of the Burke class DDG's on the other side of that pier are going to need repairs as well, from heat and smoke damages.
Spill boom is open.
Tugs are pulling one of the Burke class DDG's away from the pier. It's DDG 62 USS Fitzgerald.
Reportedly just 200 sailors and officers on board when the first explosion and fire began.
All USN crew evacuated.
Only stream I can find for now...
Ground level from across the bay.
Close the chat window.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39sRT4_pvTs&feature=youtu.be
Confirmed: USS Fitzgerald is on the move.
Prior to evac.
Red and blue uniforms are USN damage control. Camo are USMC. All else SDFD.
Both of the DDG-1000's are in that port.
Both Burke class DDG's have been moved.
Harbor Patrol fire boats joined by big tug fire boats.
Still burning.
My assumption at the moment is that there is no ammunition* or AV fuel on board.
*The six SAM systems are almost certainly loaded.
Two 8-cell RIM-7 Sea Sparrow launchers.
Two 21-cell RIM-116 RAM launchers
Two 20mm Phalanx systems.
The missile launch containers can withstand a tremendous amount of heat. The Phalanx not so much.
===
Fuel burns are coming from the ships own engine tanks and other sources.
USN fire teams have been fighting on the pier side.
Two USN teams are back on the ship.
Worst of the fire seems to have died down.
Likely so burned out that it won't be cost effective to repair her. She'll probably have to be scrapped.
A $1.5 billion ship.
Fires still burning. USN and Federal fire fighter teams on board.
Helicopters were used to drop water on the ship overnight.
Not seeing any of the fire fighting tug boats.
Almost all of the ships nearby have been moved - except for two of the LCS ships. One of the two DDG-1000's has been moved, the other is still pier side about 1000 meters away from the fire. All 3 other amphib ships are also still in place.
This, from CDR Salamandar speaks volumes.
https://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-burning-of-uss-bonhomme-richard-lhd.html
We got damn lucky.
My count of ships that, for various reasons, were not moved as of 11:30am Monday...
LCS class - 9.
Burke class DDG - 8
Tico class CG - 1
DDG-1000 - 1
Amphib - 3 (number 4 is burning)
Cargo (various classes) - 11
All but one of the Freedom class LCS were moved. None of the Independence class LCS were moved.
containment boom on the port side SOP, or for fuel dump mitigation?
@Render
That's not good.
@Render
That's good to hear.
I fear the Bonhomme Richard will be a near-total loss.
@voltronic Still another Burke in there. And a big Attack Cargo ship beyond them. Three LCS as well.
@Render
Yes, so I've heard. I don't know if it will be possible to move all of them out before they are damaged as well.
@Render thanks for the update. is there still a live feed?
@Render thanks again!
@Render
I saw a report earlier (can't find it now) that there were 500 and 1000 lb bombs in the magazines, but haven't seen that verified.
@voltronic Possible, but kind of unlikely.
Also...
All bombs after and including the Mk82/83/84 are designed to melt down rather than explode in a fire.
@Render
Yeah, I wonder how much they would get used on an amphibious assault craft. A carrier would be part of the battle group anyway, right?
Good to hear about the meltdown design.
@voltronic Direct close air support for USMC by the Harriers or Lightnings.
@Render Any idea what started it?
@ChippySuave Not yet. That may take a while to confirm.
Early reports were a welding accident.
@Render
So unfortunate.
I hope none of the injuries were serious or have long-term effects.
@Render still burning, geez, what went off on that ship?
@elmaxx Looks like USMC vehicles in their parking hanger.
@Render
Aren't there fire-suppression systems throughout the ship? Doesn't it have compartmentalization to enable containment.
Were the suppression systems disabled during repairs? Was the hangar fire just too big? How would this have played out during a battle (what would have been different - less fragile)?
Was there simply not enough crew on board to close hatches, etc to contain?
A fire during major repairs doesn't seem entirely surprising, but being able to get that out of control does.
Worst of the fire seems to be in the hanger deck, directly under the SAW systems.