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

2 Hurt in Fire on Frigate off Florida
Navy News www.navy.mil
Friday Sep 14, 2007
By Andrew Scutro
Staff writer

NORFOLK, Va. — Two sailors aboard the frigate Taylor were injured in an electrical fire Thursday while the ship was underway about five miles off Mayport, Fla.

According to Chief Mass Communications Specialist Tom Kreidel a spokesman for Naval Surface Force Atlantic, the incident began at 9:52 a.m. with an “engineering casualty,” or malfunctioning equipment, in Auxiliary Machinery Room 2. That sparked a fire that injured two sailors, he said.

“They were just off the coast of Mayport doing [combat systems and ship survivability] certification testing at the time,” he said.

Kreidel said the ship was towed back to port. The two injured sailors received electrical shocks in the incident. Kreidel said one sailor was treated onboard the ship and was able to return to duty. The second sailor was taken to a Jacksonville hospital but is expected to be released today, he said.

As for the Taylor’s condition, “The damage to the ship is currently being assessed by the ship’s force,” he said.