The Navy’s continued effort to prevent fires aboard ships has suffered a setback. On Wednesday, the US Third Fleet released a brief statement detailing a fire aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), one of the few US aircraft carriers deployable to the Pacific.
The Navy said nine sailors suffered minor injuries in the Nov. 28 fire. The carrier is still operating off the California coast, and the Navy says, “the fire was quickly identified and extinguished due to the firefighting efforts of the crew.”
The San Diego-based USS Abraham was “conducting routine operations approximately 30 miles off the coast of Southern California when the incident occurred,” the Navy said.
No damage estimates have been received.
This fire is the first for a major fighter since a 2020 pier side conflagration consumed a $1.2 billion Navy amphibious assault ship, the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6). In light of the Navy’s purported focus on fire prevention after that loss, the latest conflagration requires close scrutiny. Are Navy Fire Prevention Efforts Sinking?
Fire onboard USS Abraham Lincoln injures 9 sailors, Navy says https://t.co/QJwD2Y8xJP
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Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, who took office just days after the Bonhomme Richard Command investigation was released, is in trouble if the carrier fails to “establish the culture and standards necessary to change fire safety outcomes.” ” of the Navy in a lasting way.”
Also involved is Admiral Mike Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations. An “Action Learning Board” set up “to both implement the recommendations and to evaluate their ongoing implementation” was to check “whether the recommendations are still valid and are having the desired effect.”
Following the latest fire aboard the ship, Pentagon leadership will be very interested in determining how effective the Navy’s top leaders have been in pushing for a better fleet.
Fire prevention is important. In recent years, preventable fires aboard ships have taken a huge toll, destroying a $2 billion nuclear attack submarine and the Bonhomme Richard.
