Constellation (CV 64) - Naval Cruise Book

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(Right) AFFF, lifeblood of the fireftghting efforts was transferred from barrels into ship ' s tanks. ( Top) Medical Department provided first aid to the injured. (Middle) There never was a lack of volunteers to fight the fire. (Bottom) A firefighter enjoys a brief respite from the blaze. Many would return to the scene time and time again. 26 FIRE

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H.. THE FIRE ' ' ■ In the morning of Aug. 2, Connie quietly slipped her moorings at V NAS North Island and left for a routine two-week CQ off the coast of Southern California. Things would quickly turn out to be anything but routine. The ship had barely cleared the harbor when a JP-5 fuel leak in the uptakes rained down on One Main Machinery Room and erupted into a full-blown conflagration. When explosions rocked the engineering spaces, the ship went to General Quarters. And for the next 24 hours, the crew battled the blaze, which had spread through the uptakes and threat- ened the entire ship. Only the determination and heroics of a well-trained crew prevented a major disaster. As Connie pulled back in to North Island on Aug. 3, the deployment was the last thing on people ' s minds. The ship had been hurt, and hurt bad. u THE FIRE

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(Below) The charred remains of One Main was a mute testament to the fire ' s destruction. (Top left) Less than three months later, after thousands of manhoiirs of work. One Main rose. Phoenix-like from the ashes. (Above) Pacific Ship Fabrication and Repair project manager Ed Speakman and Capt. Zerr prepare to light off boilers in One Main. (Left) At last the moment arrived, and the boilers in One Main were lit. FIRE 27