Navy now says 57 injured in fire on naval ship at Naval Base San Diego

The Navy said Monday that at least 57 people have been injured in a weekend fire aboard a naval ship at Naval Base San Diego that continues to burn.

The fire started at about 9 a.m. Sunday aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard, apparently in a vehicle storage area as the ship was in a berth undergoing maintenance, said Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, according to the Associated Press.

The Navy initially said that 17 sailors and four civilians had hospitalized with “non-life threatening injuries.” But by early Monday the number had grown to 57 with five remained hospitalized for observation, the Navy said.

Navy officials think the fire began somewhere in a lower cargo hold where marine equipment and vehicles are stored, Sobeck, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3, told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

He also told the newspaper that the fire was not fueled by fuel oil, hazardous materials or electrical causes. Sobeck said it was fueled by paper, cloth, rags or other materials in a standard fire. He said he is not concerned about the air quality or toxicity around the fire.

Millions of gallons of fuel are on board. The explosion was probably caused by a change in air pressure, Sobeck also said.