US Nuclear Submarine Fire May Have Been Caused By a Faulty Vacuum Cleaner

Remember the fire on board the USS Miami, a nuclear submarine, at a navy shipyard in Maine on May 24?

According to the US Navy investigation, the fire may have been caused by a vacuum cleaner. The fire resulted in the damage of more than 400 million dollars. No details of the vacuum cleaner yet.

From CNN (6/6/2012):

(CNN) -- A fire last month aboard a U.S. nuclear submarine that caused more than $400 million in damage may have been caused by a vacuum cleaner, the Navy said Wednesday.

"Preliminary findings indicate the fire started in a vacuum cleaner used to clean work sites at end of shift, and stored in an unoccupied space," the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Congressional and Public Affairs Office said in a news release. "Specific details as to the cause and subsequent damage assessment are still being evaluated as part of ongoing investigations and will be released at a later date."

Public Affairs Officer Deb White said she did not know what kind of vacuum cleaner had been implicated in the blaze or whether the same machine was used by any other nuclear submarines.

The May 24 incident affected the forward compartment of the USS Miami, where the crew's living quarters, command and control spaces and the torpedo room are, the release said.

"Miami's nuclear propulsion spaces were not affected by the fire," the release said. "The ship's nuclear propulsion plant was not operating at the time and the plant had been shut down for over two months. Nuclear propulsion spaces were isolated from the forward compartment fire early and spaces remained habitable, manned and in a safe and stable condition throughout the entire event. There were no torpedoes or other weapons onboard the submarine."

Cleanup in the forward compartment began last week and the Navy estimated an "initial rough repair cost" of $400 million, plus some 10% for what it called "secondary effects," including disruption to other planned work in the shipyards and the possible need to contract work to the private sector.

The submarine was commissioned in 1990 and carries a crew of 12 officers and 98 enlisted personnel, according to the Navy.

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Fire on Nuclear Submarine at a Navy Shipyard in Maine

6 people have been injured. The fire seems still burning. The reactor on board was not in danger at any time, according to Captain Bryant Fuller, Shipyard Commander for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery.

From CNN (5/24/2012):

(CNN) -- Firefighters were still battling a blaze in a nuclear submarine late Wednesday at a U.S. Navy shipyard in Maine - six hours after their initial response to it, a shipyard spokesman said.

Six people sustained injuries and subsequently received treatment either on the scene or at "a local medical facility", said Captain Bryant Fuller, Shipyard Commander for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery. Among them was a firefighter evacuated due to heat exhaustion. Fuller described the man as "conscious and alert," in a statement read aloud to journalists.

"While the fire is not out, the situation is improving," he said at 11:45 p.m. Eastern time. "Due to the heat created by the fire, steam continues to emit from the ship from the firefighting efforts."

The USS Miami's reactor was not operating at any time the fire broke out and has remained unaffected and stable throughout, he said. The sub was in dock at the shipyard, when the blaze began, where it has been "since early March for an overhaul."

The fire started in a forward part of the ship away from the reactor, affecting "primarily living areas and command and control spaces," Fuller said.

The USS Miami is capable of carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles and Mark 48 torpedoes, but no weapons were on board, said Navy spokesman Lt. Myers Vasquez.

Local firefighters assisted the Navy's fire crew, who initially responded to the blaze at 5:41 p.m., Fuller said. State, local, and federal authorities were notified of the incident.

"The cause of the fire is not known at this time," Fuller said. " A full investigation will be conducted."

The Miami is a fast-attack submarine of the Los Angeles class, Vasquez said.

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was established on June 12, 1800 and is the oldest continuously operating shipyard operated by the Navy, according to Gary Hildreth, a public affairs officer for the facility.

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