Fire, Fire, Fire...

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Bonhomme Richard Hull Completes Final Voyage to Texas Shipbreaker - USNI News

The hull of the former amphibious warship Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) has arrived at the yard of a Texas shipbreaker for dismantling, the shipyard confirmed to USNI News. On Monday, tug Nicole Foss pulled the wreck into the Port of Brownsville, Texas, to the International Shipbreaking LTD...
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She made it to Texas.
 
The Navy has filed charges against a sailor for allegedly deliberately starting a fire last year that quickly spread and consumed much of the interior of amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6), the service announced Thursday.

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Navy Charges Sailor with Arson, Hazarding a Vessel in 2020 Bonhomme Richard Fire - USNI News

This post has been updated with additional details of the sailor accused of starting the fire aboard the former Bonhomme Richard (LHA-6). The Navy has filed charges against a sailor for allegedly deliberately starting a fire last year that quickly spread and consumed much of the interior of...
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It's hard to imagine one person could take out a massive ship like that.

The BHR was in her most vulnerable state but still, unimaginable.

Coincidentally, today is the anniversary of the 1967 fire on the USS Forrestal.
 
Seaman Apprentice. So junior. No doubt disgruntled about something and wanted to get out of work somehow, and clueless about how vulnerable the ship’s normally robust firefighting systems and reduced manning left her. Or, if he was aware, truly a vicious crime. Imagine telling the family, about what you are accused of, right out of the gate of your Navy career.
 
Wow. Speechless. Arson is a crime I cannot wrap my head around. Wow.
 
Capt MJ said:
Seaman Apprentice. So junior. No doubt disgruntled about something and wanted to get out of work somehow, and clueless about how vulnerable the ship’s normally robust firefighting systems and reduced manning left her. Or, if he was aware, truly a vicious crime. Imagine telling the family, about what you are accused of, right out of the gate of your Navy career.
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Some SWOs discussing this described it as the worst place to have a fire at probably the most vulnerable day/week of the availability on the day of the week when it was least likely to be found quickly and when the onboard resources (duty fire party) were weakest. From that description, I'd go with that he was aware.
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I did a tour on an amphib and the "Vehicle Stowage Spaces" (Upper and Lower) were large and in an availability, if lines were run through the hatches as was the case on BHR then a fire could/would have moved quickly to a very large piece of the ship and very hard to put out. If firemain and firefighting equipment were under repair at the same time as was the case here, it would be even harder. Add to that the fact that the space on BHR was in fairly heavy use for equipment coming on and off the ship being staged in it.
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OldRetSWO said:
Some SWOs discussing this described it as the worst place to have a fire at probably the most vulnerable day/week of the availability on the day of the week when it was least likely to be found quickly and when the onboard resources (duty fire party) were weakest. From that description, I'd go with that he was aware.
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I did a tour on an amphib and the "Vehicle Stowage Spaces" (Upper and Lower) were large and in an availability, if lines were run through the hatches as was the case on BHR then a fire could/would have moved quickly to a very large piece of the ship and very hard to put out. If firemain and firefighting equipment were under repair at the same time as was the case here, it would be even harder. Add to that the fact that the space on BHR was in fairly heavy use for equipment coming on and off the ship being staged in it.
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If the charges stick and conviction occurs this makes my blood boil. Such loss and such risk to those who sailed with him/her.
 
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She is at International Shipbreaking, LTD. in Brownsville Texas now. A billion dollar ship turned into scrap.
 
I wonder if when you are maneuvering ships like that into a ship-breaking yard, are you careful not to rub up against one of the other ships, so as not to scratch the paint?

I wonder these things.
 
Capt MJ said:
Seaman Apprentice. So junior. No doubt disgruntled about something and wanted to get out of work somehow, and clueless about how vulnerable the ship’s normally robust firefighting systems and reduced manning left her. Or, if he was aware, truly a vicious crime. Imagine telling the family, about what you are accused of, right out of the gate of your Navy career.
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“No doubt disgruntled”

From what I read he enlisted for one of those high tech rates (can’t remember what the rate was )

He then switched from trying for that rate to try for the SEALs. He lasted 5 days.

He then ended up as a non rate deck hand.

Disgruntled would be a good choice of words.
 
This thread makes me think of one of my dads sea stories. Not a fire as such an explosion on a navy ship.

On Nov 10 1944 at 8:55 am Dad was running across the beach to get his PBY out of the water because of an air raid.

at that exact moment he was knocked to the ground as the USS Mount Hood, out in the harbor, exploded and ceased to exist.

All hands killed. No bodies of the ships crew recovered. They could barely find any pieces of the ship.

I think it was 17 sailors who had left the Mount Hood a few minutes before had just arrived on the beach at that same time.

At least one was on the beach to face charges. The rest were getting the ships mail or doing other ships business

It pays to be lucky
 
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If this alleged fire starter was so miserable, there had to be better outlets and choices for him. I mean, I just watched several episodes of MASH (all time go to television show) and Klinger managed to be miserable and try to get out without hurting anyone or anything.

If the charges stick, and the evidence finds him at fault, he should pay dearly. Not just the loss of the ship, but the trauma and injuries caused need to be accounted for.
 
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