US Navy says all known fires on USS Bonhomme Richard are finally out after more than 4 days of around-the-clock firefighting

• The US Navy announced Thursday afternoon that all known fires aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard are out. There is still the possibility that fires continue to burn on the ship.
• Hundreds of sailors, as well as many federal firefighters, have been working around the clock for over four days battling the blaze that first started Sunday morning.
• A senior Navy official said Thursday that "it is too early to make any predictions or promises of what the future of the ship will be."

After more than four days of intense, around-the-clock firefighting, the US Navy said Thursday afternoon that all known fires on the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard are finally out.

The Navy still does not know exactly what caused the devastating fire. "Our fire teams are investigating every space to verify the absence of fire," Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group Three, said Thursday.

"Until every space is checked and there are no active fires we will not be able to commence any official investigations," he said.

He also said in a statement that the extent of the damage is still unknown, indicating that "it is too early to make any predictions or promises of what the future of the ship will be."

A fire was first reported aboard the big-deck amphib, which has been in maintenance for the past couple of years and was in port at Naval Base San Diego, at around 8:30 am Sunday. Sobeck revealed earlier this week that a sudden explosion forced the crew to evacuate before they could secure the area where the fire broke out and activate the fire suppression system.

The fire, which is suspected to have started in a lower vehicle storage area, spread rapidly through the ship. Sobeck told reporters Tuesday that once the fire spread up to the well deck, it was "off to the races."

Over the past few days, hundreds of sailors and federal firefighters have been battling fires aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard. The Navy reports that 63 people — 40 sailors and 23 civilians — have been injured, suffering from things like smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion.

Sobeck told reporters Sunday evening that "we're absolutely going to make sure it sails again," adding that "we're just going to get right back at it once we get this thing contained and put out."

In an update Monday, he said that he remains hopeful, even as expert observers suggested the ship was too far gone and possibly not worth saving. He continued to express optimism in later updates.