Sailors injured after Navy ship catches fire in San Diego

Seventeen sailors and four civilians with injuries that were not life-threatening were taken to a hospital, according to a Navy statement.

The fire occurred aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard, an amphibious assault ship that was docked at a pier at Naval Base San Diego for maintenance. The ship was commissioned in 1998 and participated in several missions, including Operation Iraqi Freedom. It typically carries a crew of more than 1,000 sailors.

A Navy official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said the cause of the fire is not clear. Service officials do not believe foul play is involved, the official said.

About 160 sailors were aboard the 840-foot vessel at the time of the fire, which was called in about 8:30 a.m., according to a statement from the Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

The entire crew was off the ship and accounted for, the Navy said.

Two Navy vessels have been moved to piers farther from the fire. The USS Fitzgerald moved about 1 p.m., and the USS Russell moved about 30 minutes later, according to the Navy.

"Currently there are two firefighting teams fighting the fire aboard the ship," Federal Fire San Diego Division Chief Rob Bondurant said Sunday evening. "Federal Fire is rotating their crews aboard the ship with U.S. Navy firefighting crews from the waterfront to fight the fire in order to, find the seat of the fire and extinguish it. Also, Navy Region Southwest tugs are also continuously combatting the fire from the bay."

The origin of the fire is under investigation.