The following is the March 2022 Navy study, requested by Congress as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, if the service needs to purchase additional fireboats following the loss of USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6). Read More
Tag Archives: U.S. 3rd Fleet
Sailor Arraigned on Arson, Hazarding Vessel Charges in Bonhomme Richard Fire
A MH-60S from HSC 3 dropping water on USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) on July 15, 2020. US Navy Photo
NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO, Calif. – A junior sailor was arraigned Thursday on charges that he deliberately set a fire aboard USS Bonhomme Richard in 2020, the alleged act that led to the Navy’s decision to scrap the big-deck amphibious ship. Read More
Navy to Court-Martial Sailor Accused of Arson in 2020 Bonhomme Richard Fire; Hearing Officer Advised No Trial, Says Attorney
USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) sits pier side at Naval Base San Diego on July 16, 2020. US Navy Photo
A junior sailor will be tried at a general court-martial on charges that he intentionally started a fire that grew into a raging blaze in 2020 that burned the former USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) for days, the Navy announced Friday. Read More
Experts Criticize ATF, Navy Finding on Cause of Bonhomme Richard Fire; Case Against Sailor Pending U.S. 3rd Fleet Decision
A San Diego Federal Fire firefighter rests after combating a fire aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) on July 12, 2020. US Navy Photo
SAN DIEGO – An expert in electrical engineering told a Navy court that an electrical short in a forklift or some faulty batteries could have sparked the fire that ultimately led the service to scrap the former USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6), countering the Navy’s acceptance from a federal fire investigation that a disgruntled sailor deliberately set it. Read More
Witness’ Identification of Sailor Accused in Bonhomme Richard Fire Comes Under Scrutiny
Sailors and Federal San Diego Firefighters equip gear before providing firefighting assistance aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) on the morning of July 13, 2020. US Navy Photo
This post has been updated to correct the rank for Ryan Mays.
SAN DIEGO – One petty officer’s accusation against a shipmate is at the center of the Navy’s criminal case against the junior sailor charged with deliberately lighting a fire last year that caused the service to scrap the former USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6). Read More
ATF Investigator: Bonhomme Richard Fire Deliberately Set, No Direct Physical Evidence Points to Accused Sailor
Fire aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) at Naval Base San Diego on July 12, 2020. US Navy Photo
SAN DIEGO – The fire that eventually destroyed much of the former USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) likely was deliberately set to ignite cardboard boxes in a stowage area packed with assorted items that fire investigators ruled out as the ignition source, a federal fire investigator testified in a Navy court Monday.
Hearing Begins for Junior Sailor Charged in USS Bonhomme Richard Fire
Sailors rest after firefighting on the morning of July 13, 2020 aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6). US Navy Photo
This story has been updated to clarify that the Navy made the decision to scrap the former USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) last year, not earlier this year.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Navy prosecutors will make their case to a military officer this week as to why a junior sailor should be court-martialed on charges that he deliberately set the 2020 fire that eventually gutted the former USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) and intentionally put others in danger at Naval Base San Diego.
Navy Board Set to Improve Fire Safety After Report Finds Sailors ‘Unprepared to Fight Blazes in Port
U.S. Navy Sailors transit the hangar bay towards a simulated fire during an in-port emergency drill aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in Norfolk, Virginia, Oct. 24, 2020. US Navy Photo
After losing an amphibious warship to a fire, the Navy will elevate the head of service safety to a two-star billet and create a new oversight board meant to improve fire safety throughout the fleet. Read More
Navy Investigation into USS Bonhomme Richard Fire, Major Fires Review
The following are the command investigation into the July 12, 2020 fire aboard the former USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) and the Major Fires Review. The pair of reports were released on Oct. 20. Read More
Long Chain of Failures Left Sailors Unprepared to Fight USS Bonhomme Richard Fire, Investigation Finds
Sailors evacuated from USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) on July 12, 2020. US Navy Photo
A cascade of failures – from a junior enlisted sailor not recognizing a fire at the end of their duty watch to fundamental problems with how the U.S. Navy trains sailors to fight fires in shipyards – are responsible for the five-day blaze that cost the service an amphibious warship, according to an investigation into the July 2020 USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) fire reviewed by USNI News. Read More
