CommunityEditor
06-30-2009, 05:52 PM
Coast Guard investigators are looking into who is responsible for a June 19 fire that destroyed a storage room aboard the high endurance cutter Gallatin.
The Gallatin, which was in dry dock undergoing repairs in Charleston, S.C., caught fire around 11 a.m. and burned for about three hours. Coast Guard officials believe the fire started after a spark from welding and steel-cutting work ignited insulation on the ship, but investigators still are looking into the exact cause, according to Lt. Cmdr. Tony Russell, a spokesman for Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen. No one was injured.
Private contractors were performing the work, but it must be determined if they took proper safety precautions, Russell said. Until liability is determined, damage estimates can not be released, he said.
The shipyard is being very cooperative with us, Russell said.
The damage estimate is expected to be minor in comparison to the estimated $7.5 million in work that is being done to get the Gallatin which is more than 40 years old ready to return to sea, he said. The Gallatin was removed from patrol in July 2008 because of corrosion and severe structural deterioration.
Allen visited the Gallatin on Thursday to check out damage and visit the high endurance cutter Dallas, which also is in dry dock at Detyens Shipyards, formerly the Charleston Naval Shipyard. All told, the cutters are undergoing $15 million in repairs.
This is a tough availability for the crews who are working long hours, standing fire watches, and carrying out unit level work lists, Allen wrote in his blog Sunday. A significant issue has been heat and portable air conditioning units have been installed to lower temperatures.
Article: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/06/coastguard_gallatin_063009w/
The Gallatin, which was in dry dock undergoing repairs in Charleston, S.C., caught fire around 11 a.m. and burned for about three hours. Coast Guard officials believe the fire started after a spark from welding and steel-cutting work ignited insulation on the ship, but investigators still are looking into the exact cause, according to Lt. Cmdr. Tony Russell, a spokesman for Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen. No one was injured.
Private contractors were performing the work, but it must be determined if they took proper safety precautions, Russell said. Until liability is determined, damage estimates can not be released, he said.
The shipyard is being very cooperative with us, Russell said.
The damage estimate is expected to be minor in comparison to the estimated $7.5 million in work that is being done to get the Gallatin which is more than 40 years old ready to return to sea, he said. The Gallatin was removed from patrol in July 2008 because of corrosion and severe structural deterioration.
Allen visited the Gallatin on Thursday to check out damage and visit the high endurance cutter Dallas, which also is in dry dock at Detyens Shipyards, formerly the Charleston Naval Shipyard. All told, the cutters are undergoing $15 million in repairs.
This is a tough availability for the crews who are working long hours, standing fire watches, and carrying out unit level work lists, Allen wrote in his blog Sunday. A significant issue has been heat and portable air conditioning units have been installed to lower temperatures.
Article: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/06/coastguard_gallatin_063009w/