Warships in Maintenance Always Face Increased Risk for Fire Damage

[rangerrebew]

Warships in Maintenance Always Face Increased Risk for Fire Damage
By: Megan Eckstein
July 13, 2020 9:16 PM
 

Fires are a constant worry for any ship, and every sailor is taught from their earliest days in the service that damage control is everyone’s responsibility. However, that responsibility becomes more complex when a ship is in maintenance. Fewer sailors are typically aboard, and opportunities are greater to spark a fire from welding or other hot work.

The relationship between where the fire started on USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) on Sunday and where maintenance had been taking place is still murky, Navy officials said – with the fire appearing to have originated in the Marine vehicle stowage area near the back of the amphibious assault ship, but no known maintenance work taking place there. Still, this fire comes on the heels of three incidents in the last two years where ships in maintenance suffered damage from fires.

https://news.usni.org/2020/07/13/warships-in-maintenance-always-face-increased-risk-for-fire-damage

[AL]

Interesting story.  Seems as though most of these fires occur during yard work.  Sounds like the yards need to take safety with a little more interest for a starter especially since the crew is usually off board for schooling, leave, or just barracked on shore.  In my four years aboard two DE's each of the ships had a three month yard visit to Boston NSY.  I can still hear the bells from all those damned cranes as they moved around.