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Badly stowed gear may have worsened GW fire

Improperly stowed flammable materials may have worsened the May 22 fire aboard the carrier George Washington, according to a Navy fleetwide message sent Friday reminding sailors to take care with hazardous materials.

Although the message does not cite the George Washington fire by name, it says that “during a recent mishap, improperly managed and stored flammable and combustible materials may have contributed to the spread and intensity of a shipboard fire.” Sent by Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C., the message reminds sailors of the importance of making sure that hazardous material is properly stowed.

The message reminds sailors to be sure they’re following procedures to store materials with a flashpoint below 200 degrees, aerosols, petroleum products, paints, cleaning compounds, oil-soaked rags and others.

Navy spokesman Lt. Sean Robertson emphasized that the investigation into the cause of the George Washington fire was unfinished, but that Navy officials considered the NavSea message a timely reminder for the fleet.

“This was just a prudent measure to remind all ships to look at how they’re storing these materials,” he said.

The crew of the carrier fought the fire for more than five hours, and sailors reported their thermal imaging gear showed temperatures of 400 degrees in some spaces. Capt. Dave Dykhoff, GW’s commanding officer, called it “probably the worst [fire] I’ve been involved with.”

One sailor suffered first-degree burns and 23 others were treated for heat stress.