Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Public Safety

Sailors Injured In Three-Alarm Fire Aboard USS Bonhomme Richard At Naval Base San Diego

San Diego Fire Department trucks and personnel assisting with a fire on board the USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego, July 12, 2020.
San Diego Fire Department
San Diego Fire Department trucks and personnel assisting with a fire on board the USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego, July 12, 2020.

Seventeen sailors and four civilians were sent to the hospital Sunday with minor injuries after a fire broke out aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego, Navy officials said.

"The crew has been evacuated off the ship and we have accounted for everyone," Brian O'Rourke, the Navy Region Southwest spokesman, said.

Sailors Injured In Three-Alarm Fire Aboard USS Bonhomme Richard At Naval Base San Diego
Listen to this story by Matt Hoffman.

Federal Fire is the lead agency combating the fire, with San Diego Fire-Rescue Department and National City Fire assisting. Harbor Police are also assisting with fire boats in the water.

Advertisement

The USS Fitzgerald shifted berths to a pier away from the fire around 1 p.m., according to a statement from the Naval Surface Force. The USS Russell moved 30 minutes later.

San Diego firefighters were called to 3455 Senn St. at 8:51 a.m. for a three-alarm fire aboard the military assault ship, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD). About 150 firefighters were assigned to the blaze.

There were 160 sailors aboard the ship at the time, according to a tweet from Naval Surface Forces.

There was an explosion on the USS Bonhomme Richard, according to a tweet from SDFD, but that couldn’t be confirmed by O’Rourke.

The cause of the fire was not immediately determined.

Advertisement

The Bonhomme Richard is an amphibious assault ship homeported in San Diego.

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.