Sailors Who Helped Fight USS Bonhomme Richard Fire Test Positive For COVID-19

At least two sailors who fought the massive fire aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard have tested positive for COVID-19. Over 20 contacts of those who tested positive are now under quarantine.

On July 16, after four days of efforts, "all known fires" aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard were successfully extinguished.

On Friday, July 17, the U.S. Navy confirmed that two of the USS San Diego sailors who helped fight the USS Bonhomme Richard fire tested positive for COVID-19, the statement came following San Diego Union-Tribune interviews with several sailors who said at least five from the ship tested positive for the disease.

In one of the interviews, a USS San Diego sailor who helped fight the fire said the scene during the fire was "chaotic," with sailors swapping and sharing fire fighting equipment such as gloves and masks. Much of the shared equipment came from nearby vessels, including the USS San Diego, because a lot of the firefighting equipment at the USS Bonhomme Richard were damaged.

"Two sailors supporting USS Bonhomme Richard firefighting operations recently tested positive for COVID-19 after exhibiting symptoms," Navy spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Nicole Shwegman said in a statement, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. "Contract tracing identified 27 close contacts. All contacts were placed in ROM (restriction of movement). The Navy continues to implement COVID-19 mitigation measures to protect the health of our force."

The names of those who were quarantined and the department they work at were not revealed.

Also on Friday, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday visited the USS Bonhomme Richard and commended the efforts of everyone who fought the fire.

"We appreciate the quick and immediate response of Sailors from across the San Diego waterfront, helicopter crews from HSC-3, our Coast Guard partners, local and Federal Firefighters, industry experts, and the local San Diego community. It truly has been an all hands effort and we are grateful," Gilday said in a statement. "Every Sailor is a firefighter from day one, and the importance of damage control efforts can never be underestimated. Make no mistake, we will fully investigate what happened here so that we learn all that we can from this terrible tragedy."

In total, 40 U.S. Navy sailors and 23 civilians sustained minor injuries in the fire.