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Fire Continuing to Burn Aboard Navy Ship Docked in California

Carla Babb

   WASHINGTON - Firefighting teams continueto battlea massive firemore
   than two days after its eruptiononboard a U.S. Navy amphibious assault
   ship docked at Naval Base San Diego in the U.S. state of California.

   The cause of the fireremainsunder investigation.

   "No major damage" has occurred to the four main engineering spaces of
   the ship, which costs billions of dollars, but "it's too early to tell"
   the full extent of destruction with the fire still raging, U.S. Navy
   Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck said Tuesday during a press conference.

   There were 160 sailors aboard the'¯USS Bonhomme Richard'¯when the fire
   broke out, according to the Navy, and all have been evacuated.

   In total,61U.S. sailors and Navy civilian personnelweretreated for
   injuries as a result of the fire, including smoke inhalation and heat
   exhaustion.Noneis currentlyhospitalized.

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