A fire on board HMCS Victoria, the navy’s best hope for an operational submarine, is the latest mishap to plague the used boats that have spent more time undergoing repairs than in the water.
The submarine’s commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Ellis, confirmed that the fire happened last Tuesday and was contained to the communications mast on top of the sub. It happened during a scheduled radiation hazard survey.
One of the submariners on the jetty during the training noticed smoke coming from the communications mast, Ellis said.
“There was no indication of smoke or anything inside the submarine,” Ellis said, explaining that the mast does not open up to the rest of the boat. “It was a minor fire in that way.”
The submariner alerted the six crew members inside the submarine and called the CFB Esquimalt Fire Department, he said.
Three duty members aboard the sub took emergency precautions, isolating the high-powered systems on the submarine and making sure everyone got off the vessel safely.
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Firefighters used a ladder truck to spray water and extinguish the fire in the communications mast, Ellis said.
The communications mast looks similar to a periscope and is used to communicate with other ships, aircraft and personnel on shore.
What caused the problem is not yet known, but it is suspected to have been an electrical fire, Ellis said.
The communications mast can be replaced in a matter of days, Ellis said, and the incident will not interrupt the ongoing training.
“All training can be carried out as planned. The only thing this will delay slightly is our communication trials.”
Ellis said it’s better to know about a problem with the communications mast now, rather than while out at sea.
HMCS Victoria was placed in Esquimalt Harbour in April after five years in drydock during a $195-million overhaul. It is set to do sea trials later this year, Ellis said, and next year will be the first Upholder-class submarine to fire an MK-48 torpedo. It’s the navy’s only semi-operational submarine, as the other three undergo repairs.
HMCS Corner Brook was damaged when it hit the ocean floor during advanced officer training in June off Nootka Sound on the west coast of the Island. It is now dockside at CFB Esquimalt and will be repaired during a planned maintenance period, which will keep it sidelined until 2016.
HMCS Windsor is on the east coast undergoing repairs and is set to return to sea in 2012.
HMCS Chicoutimi was damaged by a fire in 2004 that killed an officer and remains out of commission until at least 2012.
The navy’s submarine program has been fraught with problems since the diesel-powered submarines were purchased from Britain in 1998.
They have already cost taxpayers $900 million and have had little chance to show their mettle while constantly undergoing repairs.
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