# Fire on USN Submarine-$400 Million in Damage? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 7, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-on-usn-submarine-400-million-in-damage/624424 "2012-06-07T20:58:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-on-usn-submarine-400-million-in-damage/624424/21 "2012-07-25T18:30:44Z")
> [@Rich\_G7subs](#): > > Ex Submariner here too. > > Just wanted to add that back in the day (Mid '80’s) the inside of submarine hulls (nicknamed “The People Tank” ) and frames were covered with a foam insulation that ignited VERY easily. The kicker was that once it ignited it spread incredibly fast AND gave off deadly fumes as well. I hope they changed that for the more modern subs. What were they thinking? 😕 That sounds like it would complicate damage control. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-on-usn-submarine-400-million-in-damage/624424/22 "2012-07-26T01:04:59Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > [Update:](http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article/208286/314/Civilian-shipyard-employee-charged-with-setting-USS-Miami-fire?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Cbc%7Clarge) It was arson. I don’t understand. The guy was a civilian worker;not an enlisted sailor. If he wants to leave early, he informs his supervisor, fills out a leave slip and goes home. Why start a totally unnecessary fire?😕 ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-on-usn-submarine-400-million-in-damage/624424/23 "2012-07-26T14:26:16Z")
> [@medstar](#): > > I don’t understand. The guy was a civilian worker;not an enlisted sailor. If he wants to leave early, he informs his supervisor, fills out a leave slip and goes home. Why start a totally unnecessary fire?😕 Mental illness by the sounds of it. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-on-usn-submarine-400-million-in-damage/624424/24 "2012-07-26T18:19:55Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > That sounds like it would complicate damage control. Pardon me, but this sounds like the exact situation with the Warwick ,RI deadly "Filling Station " nightclub fire (2004), in which 100 people died. The walls of the club were covered in highly flammable plastic foam-one expert said that it was equivalent to “painting the walls with gasoline”. Frankly, I’m surprised-one would think that a sub would use materials unlikely to be a fire hazard. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-on-usn-submarine-400-million-in-damage/624424/25 "2012-07-26T18:22:34Z")
I bet sound proofing was the number one goal. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-on-usn-submarine-400-million-in-damage/624424/26 "2014-03-29T00:55:33Z")
scrap now Navy says goodbye to sub damaged by worker’s arson > **[Navy says goodbye to sub damaged by worker's arson](https://news.yahoo.com/navy-says-goodbye-sub-damaged-workers-arson-204840789.html)** > > KITTERY, Maine (AP) — The Navy said farewell Friday to the USS Miami, the nuclear-powered submarine whose service was cut short when a shipyard employee trying to get out of work set it on fire, causing $700 million in damage. ---
**Author:** ![ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisUsernameIsForbidden)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-on-usn-submarine-400-million-in-damage/624424/27 "2014-03-29T01:15:52Z")
The problem is that after the fire, the Chief didn’t fill out a BZ-6. When COMSUB received notification of the damage, investigators were immediately sent out, but because there was no BZ-6 investigators were called back. At COMSUB, an inquiry began as to why there was no BZ-6. That inquiry sent ripples through DOD, which made it’s way to the Joint Chiefs. But by this time, Chief filled out BZ-6. This was sent to COMSUB, but as they had already received prior notification, it was unclear whether there was an additional fire or additional damage that had not previously been documented. Investigators were sent out again, and by the time the whole thing was tallied, including: administrative duties, emergency time, logistics, procurement of additional equipment, sailors and vessels, 200,000$ worth of damage ended up being 400 Million in costs to repair. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-on-usn-submarine-400-million-in-damage/624424/28 "2014-03-29T04:09:45Z")
> [@ThisUsernameIsForbidden](#): > > The problem is that after the fire, the Chief didn’t fill out a BZ-6. When COMSUB received notification of the damage, investigators were immediately sent out, but because there was no BZ-6 investigators were called back. At COMSUB, an inquiry began as to why there was no BZ-6. That inquiry sent ripples through DOD, which made it’s way to the Joint Chiefs. But by this time, Chief filled out BZ-6. This was sent to COMSUB, but as they had already received prior notification, it was unclear whether there was an additional fire or additional damage that had not previously been documented. Investigators were sent out again, and by the time the whole thing was tallied, including: administrative duties, emergency time, logistics, procurement of additional equipment, sailors and vessels, 200,000$ worth of damage ended up being 400 Million in costs to repair. The crazy thing is, I can almost believe this is true. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-on-usn-submarine-400-million-in-damage/624424.md?page=1)