Sixty-three people were injured fighting the fire, which was discovered July 12 at 0830 and burned for four days. The 40 Navy sailors and 23 civilian firefighters injured during the response underwent treatment for heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation, the Navy said. At least 21 were hospitalized.
The cause and origin of the fire have not been determined. Multiple investigations are underway to identify what happened aboard the 844-foot ship.
“The damage is extensive,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday said at a July 17 news conference. “There is obviously electrical damage to the ship, there is structural damage to the ship, and mechanical damage to the ship that we need to assess in much more detail before we make a final determination as to next steps.”
Gilday, in a post-incident email to high-ranking military counterparts, said the fire likely started six decks below the flight deck in a lower vehicle storage area before spreading “aft, forward and up.”
The email said sections of the flight deck are warped and bulging, according to multiple published reports. Eleven of the ship’s 14 decks sustained water damage or fire damage.
A spokesman for Gilday did not respond to Professional Mariner’s request for a copy of the email obtained by other news agencies.
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Mariner's role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed
Mariners’ role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed
Piracy edges closer to home with wave of raids in southern Gulf
In the brief cellphone video recorded by a crewmember on the offshore supply vessel (OSV) Remas, the pirates walk back and forth on the deck of the ship, clenching their guns and using them to point as they order around the crew. Their faces are draped in clothing and bandanas.
Casualties
NTSB: Dredge hit Texas gas pipeline, causing fire that killed four
IMO emissions report raises new concerns about methane slip
A recent report from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reveals that global shipping emissions increased nearly 10 percent from 2012 to 2018, with the industry facing a growing challenge concerning methane slip.
Bay State brothers find industry niche by making old into new
Zero non-conformities is what you want to hear when the U.S. Coast Guard inspects your tugboat. Once you’ve prepared your vessel, the inspectors come aboard to peruse your paperwork. They ask you pointed questions, to which they expect straightforward answers. Perusal completed, they then scrutinize all of the related safety systems, from bilge to antennas — even the ship’s bell.
Signals
A year into the pandemic, thousands ‘essentially indentured’ on ships
Analysis points to faulty loading, low ballast in Golden Ray rollover
While the salvage of the sunken vehicle carrier Golden Ray has been delayed for months due to COVID-19 and the hurricane season, analysis by the U.S. Coast Guard has determined a possible cause for the rollover: a combination of vehicles placed too high on the ship’s decks, and not enough ballast water gave the placement of the cargo.
Seastreak newcomer pushing through dip in demand
Two years ago, Seastreak LLC took delivery of Seastreak Commodore, a 600-passenger fast ferry, from Gulf Craft of Franklin, La. Designed by Australia-based Incat Crowther, the vessel is the largest of its kind in the United States and was built to meet the burgeoning demand for service in the New York-New Jersey market.
New year in a new world: Navigating COVID's maritime realities
In a matter of days, the decorative time balls will drop, “Auld Lang Syne” will fill the air, and ships at anchor will sound their horns as the world welcomes in the new year.
Advanced props, rudders provide new efficiencies below the waterline
It took a decade or two from the invention of the marine propeller in the 19th century for the technology to become widely accepted. Thereafter, adoption has been nearly universal, but progress toward improved efficiencies has come in fits and starts.