NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO, Calif. – USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) hasn’t moved from the pier-side spot where it caught fire on July 12 and burned for almost five days. The ship might not be moving anytime soon. Investigations into the fire have been extended until at least until December, USNI News understands, and with them any decisions about the fate of the ship.
Still, with the ship still hot enough to need cool air pumped inside, the crew has settled into a new normal, spending their duty rotations helping clear out the amphibious assault ship and offload equipment that can be salvaged and put back into the Navy supply system.
USNI News was one of the first news outlets to see the ship on the pier since the fire occurred. Reporters were not allowed on Bonhomme Richard itself and were not allowed to photograph the ship. The port side has already been repainted to protect the steel hull, with little damage visible from the pier aside from missing portions of the superstructure. The view from the Coronado Bridge – with the charred starboard side and flight deck visible from the highway – is a reminder of this summer’s blaze.
Read more on this story at USNI News
