PH1 (AW/SW/NAC) ANTHONY C. CASULLO / U.S. NAVY Damage caused by a fire aboard the carrier USS Constellation, shown in a file photo as it pulled into Pearl Harbor on its way back to its home port of San Diego after a six-month Western Pacific deployment, may need to emergency layover at Pearl Harbor.

Fire-damaged carrier
may need Pearl pit stop

The USS Constellation is crossing
the Pacific en route to the Mideast

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By Gregg K. Kakesako
gkakesako@starbulletin.com

The Navy is assessing whether the aircraft carrier USS Constellation will have to make an emergency layover at Pearl Harbor because of a damage caused by a fire in one of its compartments Friday.

Jon Yoshishige, Pacific Fleet spokesman, said a marine fuel oil leak is blamed for the fire that broke out around 8:25 p.m. in one of the vessel's four machinery rooms.

Yoshishige said no one was hurt and it took sailors an hour to extinguish the blaze.

Navy officials are now assessing damage to the carrier and whether it may have to stop here for repairs. However, Yoshishige said the Constellation "is able to continue its mission."

The 41-year-old carrier, which left San Diego on Nov. 2 on its last six-month deployment, is now about 58 miles off the Hawaiian islands. It was on its way to relieve the USS Lincoln battle group, its planes and escort vessels, which are supporting air patrols over southern Iraq's no-fly zone and intercepting ships trying to smuggle oil in violation of United Nations sanctions.

The Constellation battle group includes the carrier, an air wing of 72 aircraft, the cruisers USS Bunker Hill and USS Valley Forge, destroyers USS Higgins and USS Milius, and frigate USS Thach, all from San Diego.

It will be joined by the nuclear attack submarine USS Columbia from Pearl Harbor and the support ship USNS Rainier from Washington.

This will be the Constellation's final deployment. It was commissioned Oct. 27, 1961, and is the second oldest carrier in the fleet. It will be decommissioned next year.

The Constellation left San Diego early as part of the Pentagon's plan to prepare for a war on Iraq.

It is expected to arrive in the North Arabian Sea area in December at the same time the nuclear carrier USS George Washington is scheduled to return.

If the Washington's deployment is extended and if the USS Harry Truman is deployed early to the region, the Pentagon could have three carriers on site for a war on Iraq in December. Also available would be the USS Kitty Hawk, which left its port in Japan last week.