Navy Charges Sailor With Setting Fire That Destroyed Warship

The sailor was a member of the USS Bonhomme Richard, but no name was released, no other details were provided, and the motive remains unclear.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The U.S. Navy said Thursday that it’s charged a sailor with starting a fire last year that destroyed a warship docked off San Diego. The USS Bonhomme Richard burned for more than four days and was the Navy’s worst U.S. warship fire outside of combat in recent memory. The amphibious assault ship was left with extensive structural, electrical and mechanical damage and was later scrapped, costing the Navy billions of dollars. The sailor was a member of the crew at the time, Cmdr. Sean Robertson, a U.S. 3rd Fleet spokesperson, said in a statement. No name was released, and Robertson could not be immediately reached for comment.