After four days of firefighting, all known fires have been extinguished aboard the San Diego-based USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6).
The fire aboard the Bonhomme Richard began burning Sunday afternoon.
According to Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3, 40 U.S. Navy Sailors and 23 civilians were treated for minor injuriesincluding heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation. No Sailors were hospitalized.
Aviation Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Jalon Wilson was one of the Bonhomme Richard Sailors who helped fight the fire.
"I was the navigator for the Federal Firefighters. By me being on the ship four years, I knew the ship like the back of my hand. So whenever they needed to get to a space, I knew exactly the best routes to take to get to that space. Once we got to the space, I stepped out of the way, then I got on a hose and helped them combat the fire."
The fire's origin is clearly unknown, and Sobeck said the Navy does not yet know the extent of the damage.
"Our fire teams are investigating every space to verify the absence of fire," Sobeck said in a statement. "Until every space is checked and there are no active fires we will not be able to commence any official investigations."
According to Sobeck, Sailors from commands all across San Diego worked alongside federal firefighters to extinguish the fire, with three helicopter squadrons conducting more than 1,500 water bucket drops and tugboats providing firefighting support from the waterline.
