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NavSource Online: Aircraft Carrier Photo Archive

Photo coverage of the fire aboard

USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN-73)

Pacific Ocean, 22 May 2008

Quoted from USN Story Number NNS080523-15 (23 May 2008):

At approximately 7:50 a.m. local time on May 22, a fire was detected in the vicinity of the aft air conditioning and refrigeration space and auxiliary boiler room aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73).

The fire spread to several spaces via a cableway and caused extreme heat in some of the ship spaces, but it was contained and extinguished by the crew without any serious injuries to personnel. It took several hours to completely contain and extinguish the fire.

The ship had been conducting a routine replenishment at sea in the Pacific Ocean with USS Crommelin (FFG 37) when smoke was observed and an emergency breakaway was initiated.

There were no serious injuries. Twenty-three Sailors were treated for heat stress and one Sailor was treated for first degree burns. The ship's crew was at general quarters for approximately 12 hours.

"There's only one word for the effort this team made to combat the fire and that is heroic," said USS George Washington Commanding Officer CAPT Dave Dykhoff. "The effectiveness of the damage control effort also clearly demonstrated the quality of our training, procedures and systems."

The ship's propulsion plant was not damaged and there were no reactor safety issues as a result of the fire. The ship has full propulsion capability.

George Washington is continuing as scheduled to San Diego prior to relieving the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) as the forward deployed aircraft carrier in the Western Pacific this summer.

Crew members of all U.S. Navy ships are highly trained in firefighting in order to be prepared to respond to this kind of incident. Fires at sea are taken very seriously.

Click on thumbnail for full size image	Size	Image Description	Contributed by and/or Copyright
NS027387	147k	A Sailor dons a Proximity Suit in order to assist in the rescue efforts located in a fuel pump room aboard USS *George Washington* (CVN 73). U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Dennis Herring (# 080522-N-3879H-011).	Chester Morris
NS027387a	109k	Commander, Carrier Strike Group Eight, Rear Adm. Philip Hart Cullom speaks with Electrician's Mate Seaman Jase Exum who is recovering after having been trapped in a fuel pump room during a shipboard fire. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Dennis Herring (# 080522-N-3879H-067).	Chester Morris
NS027387b	94k	Fire Team Leader, Machinery Repairman 2nd Class William Neault, guides his team into Hangar Bay 3. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christopher Delano (# 080522-N-4821D-094).	Chester Morris
NS027387c	65k	Sailors work to put out a fire from Hangar Bay 3. U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Peter Blair (# 080522-N-5188B-009).	Chester Morris
NS027387d	140k	Crew members aboard USS *George Washington* (CVN-73) conduct comprehensive firefighting efforts to extinguish a fire that spread to several spaces via cableways, creating extreme heat and smoke. U.S. Navy photo (# 080522-N-XXXXX-001).	USN
NS027387e	147k	U.S. Navy photo (# 080522-N-XXXXX-002).	USN
NS027387f	128k	U.S. Navy photo (# 080522-N-XXXXX-003).	USN
NS027387g	126k	Commander, Carrier Strike Group Eight, RADM Philip Hart Cullom speaks with a crew member who is recovering after having been trapped in a fuel pump room during a shipboard fire, aboard USS *George Washington* (CVN-73). U.S. Navy photo (# 080522-N-XXXXX-004).	USN
NS027387h	140k	U.S. Navy photo (# 080522-N-XXXXX-005).	USN
NS027387i	115k	U.S. Navy photo (# 080522-N-XXXXX-006).	USN
NS027387j	126k	U.S. Navy photo (# 080522-N-XXXXX-007).	USN
NS027387k	135k	U.S. Navy photo (# 080522-N-XXXXX-008).	USN
NS027387l	122k	U.S. Navy photo (# 080522-N-XXXXX-009).	USN
NS027387m	77k	U.S. Navy photo (# 080522-N-XXXXX-010).	Robert M. Cieri
NS027387n	81k	U.S. Navy photo (# 080522-N-XXXXX-011).	Robert M. Cieri
NS027387o	80k	U.S. Navy photo (# 080522-N-XXXXX-012).	Robert M. Cieri

NS027387p	150k	Command Master Chief Jeffrey R. Clark Sr. addresses the assembled crew in the hangar bay of USS *George Washington* (CVN-73). Sailors, regardless of rank, worked together to remove debris from the main decks. The clean-up evaluation commenced this morning (23 May) following yesterday's fire. U.S. Navy Photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Katrin Albritton (# 080523-N-6610A-002).	Chester Morris

NS027387q	175k	May 25. A fire aboard USS *George Washington* (CVN-73) damaged electrical equipment in a space near the ventilation trunk for the auxiliary boiler. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is in San Diego for damage assessment and repairs following the at sea fire on May 22, 2008. U.S. Navy photo (# 080525-N-0000N-001).	Chester Morris Robert M. Cieri
NS027387r	203k	U.S. Navy photo (# 080525-N-0000N-007).	Chester Morris Robert M. Cieri

NS027387s	108k	USS *George Washington* (CVN-73) arrives in San Diego, 27 May 2008, after an at sea fire five days earlier. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is en route to relieve USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) as the United States' permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier in the western Pacific. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mark A. Leonesio (# 080527-N-4658L-046).	Robert M. Cieri

NS027387t	168k	May 29. A fire aboard USS *George Washington* (CVN-73) damaged cables near the exhaust and supply ventilation trunk for the auxiliary boiler. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is in San Diego for damage assessment and repairs. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ted Green (# 080529-N-6903G-014).	Chester Morris Robert M. Cieri
NS027387u	112k	Mr. Curtis Wiles assess damage aboard USS *George Washington* (CVN-73). U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Phillip Pavlovich (# 080529-N-7282P-001).	Chester Morris
NS027387v	116k	Mr. Michael Brown conducts an assessment of the fiber optic cable plan aboard USS *George Washington* (CVN-73). U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Phillip Pavlovich (# 080529-N-7282P-006).	Chester Morris
NS027387w	133k	Mr. Bret Haskins assess fire damage aboard USS *George Washington* (CVN-73). U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Phillip Pavlovich (# 080529-N-7282P-007).	Chester Morris

NS027387x	179k	May 31. A fire aboard USS *George Washington* (CVN-73) caused damage to the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration shop. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is in San Diego for damage assessment and repairs. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Phillip Pavlovich (# 080531-N-7282P-050).	Chester Morris

Quoted from USN Story Number NNS080730-13 (30 July 2008):

Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, ADM Robert F. Willard, issued a final endorsement to the investigation of a fire that occurred aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) on May 22. As directed by ADM Willard, Commander, Naval Air Forces Pacific, VADM Thomas J. Kilcline, Jr., relieved the Commanding Officer [and Executive Officer] of USS George Washington (CVN-73) [...] today [...].

The Chief of Naval Operations directed the Manual of Judge Advocate General investigation headed by the Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet. The investigation determined that the likely cause of the fire was unauthorized smoking that ignited flammable liquids and other combustible material improperly stored in an adjacent space. The fire and the subsequent magnitude of the fire were the result of a series of human acts that could have been prevented. Specifically, the storage of 90 gallons of refrigerant compressor oil in an unauthorized space contributed to the intensity of the fire.

The fire, which occurred in an unmanned Auxiliary Boiler Exhaust and Supply space, took approximately 12 hours to extinguish due to the location and geometry of adjacent spaces and ventilation systems that created a chimney effect. Thirty-seven Sailors were treated for minor injuries incurred during fire fighting efforts, with one Sailor requiring treatment for first and second degree burns. Approximately 80 out of over 3,800 total spaces aboard the carrier were damaged by the fire.

The estimated cost of repairs to George Washington as a direct result of the shipboard fire is approximately $70 million. This includes cost for material and labor cost from the public and private sector ship repair activities.

Repairs to George Washington are nearly complete [as of July 30] and she will depart San Diego, Calif., on Aug. 21, with an arrival in Yokosuka, Japan expected in late September. George Washington's turnover with the U.S. Navy's last conventionally-powered aircraft carrier, USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), will begin upon Kitty Hawk's arrival in San Diego on Aug. 7.

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This page was created by Paul Yarnall and is maintained by Fabio Peña

Last update: 10 August 2008