SAN DIEGO, Calif. — This week marks one year since a massive fire ripped through the former USS Bonhomme Richard while in port in San Diego.
All this time later, and the Navy has still not publicly said what caused the fire.
It took dozens of Sailors and federal firefighters more than four days to put out the flames.
Later in the summer, sources told our sister station KGTV in San Diego that the fire may have been set intentionally, but there have not been any public Navy updates about the cause.
Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby declined to comment on the investigation when asked about it during a briefing this week.
"I would refer you to the Navy to speak to that. That's not something that would be appropriate coming from me today."
An assessment after the fire determined repairs could cost up to three billion dollars and take seven years.
Ultimately, the Navy found that to be too much and too long and decommissioned the ship in April.
"Though it will no longer sail with the surface force, it's steel will reinforce other ships. Its supplies will be distributed across the waterfront. It's weapons will defend our nation," Rear Admiral Phil Sobeck said during the ceremony.
Following the decommissioning, the Bonhomme Richard was towed to Texas, where it will be scrapped.
