14 Sailors Treated After Shipboard Fire
Fourteen sailors suffered smoke inhalation when a Navy helicopter carrier caught fire at the Long Beach Naval Station, but there was no serious damage to the ship.
The fire Friday night aboard the Peleliu, an amphibious assault ship used as a helicopter carrier, apparently broke out in a circuit-breaker room, where a cable from shore delivers power to the ship while it is in port. The cause of the fire was not known, but an investigation was under way, Lt. Cmdr. Steve Chesser said.
The damage was minimal and the 14 sailors who suffered smoke inhalation were treated and returned to duty by Saturday morning, Chesser said.
The Peleliu had recently returned from sea operations, but Chesser did not know the nature of the assignment. The ship normally has a crew of 900.
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