Submarine Miami Fire Vacuum Costs $400 Million in Repairs, Senators Pledge Support
A fire aboard the USS Miami has been blamed on a vacuum cleaner used by workers, Navy officials stated. The fire will cost approximately $400 million to repair, spokeswoman Deb White told reporters.
The fire happened on May 23, as the submarine was in port in Kittery, Maine. Workers cleaning the vessel reportedly brought the vacuum onboard, but it was not plugged in when the fire actually started. However, officials believe that the instrument sucked up some type of heat source, which ignited debris.
"Specific details as to the cause and subsequent damage assessment are still being evaluated as part of an on-going investigations and will be released at a later date," White said in a statement.
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The USS Miami is scheduled for a complete, 20-month cleaning before being decommissioned in 2020. Naval officials have to decide whether it is worth $400 million to repair or whether the ship should be decommissioned earlier. Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins have both stated that they are in favor of rebuilding the vessel.
"As Vice Admiral McCoy indicated to me while I toured Kittery-Portsmouth Naval Shipyard after the fire, the U.S. Navy intends to rebuild the USS Miami, and I agree that is precisely what the Navy should do," Snowe said in a statement last month.
"It is welcome news that the Navy appears committed to repairing the USS Miami at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard," Collins added.
The ship's rebuilding would bring a boon of jobs and economic growth to the state, which could be why both senators are in favor of the work. The income from the government would help provide an assortment of opportunities for military and non-military personnel to work on the machine.
"As a member of both the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, I will work to help identify the funding that will be needed," Collins stated.
