Watch: Naval Historian Updates on USS Bonhomme Richard Fire Response

An MH-60S helicopter from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 3 combats a fire aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), July 13, 2020. U.S. Navy Photo

Dr. Sal Mercogliano provides an update on the USS Bonhomme Richard fire at Naval Base San Diego. The video is a follow-on to his first video covering the initial response and fire. In this second video, Sal examines additional footage of the fire-fighting response and discusses the challenges that fire-fighters faced in battling the blaze.

The fire on board the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) started in a lower deck as the ship was moored at Naval Base San Diego on Sunday, July 12, 2020. The ship activated the base emergency response system and eventually a 3-alarm assignment from the Federal, San Diego, and National City Fire Departments responded, along with fire crews from neighboring ships.

Sal is a naval and maritime historian, former merchant mariner, and 20-year firefighter. He works as a tenured an associate professor of history at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina. All the opinions expressed are his own.

Check it out:

See Part 1: Naval Historian Breaks Down USS Bonhomme Richard Initial Fire and Response

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