Navy Suspects Arson in USS Bonhomme Richard Navy Ship Fire

A fire broke out on the Navy ship USS Bonhomme Richard last July 12. The incident happened in its home dock in San Diego, and investigators are now claiming that the blaze might be arson. The fire on the carrier was all over the ship and as a result, it left the hull very damaged after it was put out.

One of the suspects is a sailor who is now getting questioned in an investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. According to an official, the Defense Department is aware of the current developments in regards to the suspect.

One of the officials close to the investigation gave a statement, but preferred to remain anonymous. Some details were not revealed yet for fear that public knowledge of these sensitive information might thwart the investigation. He disclosed the sailor was still at large and not in custody yet, according to AP News.

A blaze that razed the amphibious assault ship went on for four days. On record, it was the most major ship fire that has hit the U.S. Navy which is not caused by combat.

After the blaze, an inspection of the ship revealed damage like structural, electrical, and mechanical damage, which was very extensive to say the least. Now, whether the USS BHR will remain in service after the fire is still under question.

Initially, the investigation and developments were first made public by KGTV, an ABC affiliate in San Diego. Requests for answers from the Navy yielded no comment so far.

Tim Pietrack, a Navy spokesman, mentioned in a statement that the Navy is desisting any comment on the current investigation of the ship fire. This way, opinions will not affect their operations until the investigative process is done. Pietrack also stressed that the Navy is bidding its time before giving any statement according to NBC News.

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Any further comment was not given by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service regarding the case.

The Naval fleet can use the amphibious assault ships or lightning carriers that can double as a scaled-down aircraft carrier. The burnt-out husk of the USS Bonhomme Richard will cost the Navy a cool $4 billion to have another one built. It was the input based on expert defense analysts.

A two-year upgrade of the USS BHR for the last two years has drawn a total cost of $250 million. Now, it will cost the Navy even more to renovate it after the fire.

When the blaze happened, there were 160 personnel on board when the flames sent smoke and fire from its 840-foot amphibious assault vessel. The mishap occurred while it had been docked at the Naval Base San Diego, and upgrades were underway.

One day after the fire, the Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday wanted to see what damage was incurred during the blaze. He stated that it was assumed that the fire was out a few hours after it started on July 12.

Experts speculate that the fire began in one of the ship's storage compartments that contained flammables. It is assumed that winds coming from the bay were responsible for making the flames spread in the hull of the USS BHR. Flames were supposed to have used elevator shafts and exhaust to spread in the hull. Number of the injured in putting out the blaze was 60 sailors and civilians.