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FILE - In this July 12, 2020, record photo, fume rises from the USS Bonhomme Richard successful San Diego aft an detonation and occurrence connected committee the vessel astatine Naval Base San Diego. The U.S. Navy said Thursday, July 29, 2021, that charges person been filed against a sailor who is accused of starting a occurrence past twelvemonth that destroyed a warship docked disconnected San Diego. The amphibious battle vessel called the USS Bonhomme Richard burned for much than 4 days and was the Navy's worst U.S. warship occurrence extracurricular of combat successful caller memory. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy, File)

SAN DIEGO – The U.S. Navy charged a sailor Thursday with starting a occurrence past twelvemonth that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard docked disconnected San Diego, marking the maritime branch's worst warship blaze extracurricular of combat successful caller memory.

The amphibious battle vessel burned for much than 4 days. Left with extended structural, electrical and mechanical damage, the vessel was aboriginal scrapped. Estimates to regenerate it ran up to $4 billion.

The sailor was a subordinate of the unit astatine the time, Cmdr. Sean Robertson, a U.S. 3rd Fleet spokesperson, said successful a statement. The sailor was charged with aggravated arson and the willful hazarding of a vessel, Robertson said. No sanction was released.

No different details were provided, and it was unclear what grounds was recovered oregon what the motive was.

The amphibious battle ships are among the fewer successful the U.S. fleet that tin enactment arsenic a mini craft carrier.

The Bonhomme Richard had been nearing the extremity of a two-year upgrade estimated to outgo $250 cardinal erstwhile the occurrence broke retired connected July 12, 2020.

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About 160 sailors and officers were connected committee erstwhile the flames sent up a immense plume of acheronian fume from the 840-foot (256-meter) vessel, which had been docked astatine Naval Base San Diego portion undergoing the upgrade.

The occurrence started successful the ship’s little retention area, wherever cardboard boxes, rags and different attraction supplies were stored. But winds coming disconnected the San Diego Bay whipped up the flames and the flames dispersed up the elevator shafts and exhaust stacks.

Then 2 explosions — 1 heard arsenic acold arsenic 13 miles (21 kilometers) distant — caused it to turn adjacent bigger.

The occurrence sent acrid fume billowing implicit San Diego, and officials had recommended radical debar exercising outdoors.

Firefighters attacked the flames wrong the ship, portion firefighting vessels with h2o cannons directed streams of seawater into the vessel and helicopters made h2o drops.

More than 60 sailors and civilians were treated for insignificant injuries, vigor exhaustion and fume inhalation.

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