USS LEYTE GULF (CG 55), Fire in Shipyard, 15 September 2007

Fire Aboard Cruiser Injures 5 Civilians

The Associated Press Sep 17, 2007

NORFOLK, Va. - A small fire broke out aboard a Navy guided missile cruiser Saturday docked in Virginia, injuring five civilian workers, officials said.

The workers were taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. The extent of their injuries was not immediately known.

The cruiser Leyte Gulf was undergoing repairs and a renovation when the accidental fire started Saturday morning due to a build up of lacquer thinner fumes, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Bruce Evans said. The blaze was put out by a portable extinguisher about 15 minutes after it began. The source of the ignition was not determined, Evans said.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known, though Evans said it appeared to be an industrial accident.

The fire occurred two decks below the main deck on the ship, a Ticonderoga-class cruiser, Evans said. No Navy personnel were injured, he said. A message left by The Associated Press at Naval Station Norfolk was not returned.