More than a half dozen former crewmembers of the USS Bonhomme Richard gave testimony in the arson case against a young sailor.

A sailor accused of starting the fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard will face a court martial for arson.

A key witness in the Navy’s case against a sailor accused of setting the fire that destroyed a U.S. warship last year in San Diego has testified he saw the suspect near the blaze's ignition point.

Navy prosecutors say a sailor charged with setting the fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard was disgruntled after dropping out of Navy SEAL training and used foul language with a superior days before the blaze.

Navy leaders say they're making changes and increasing oversight to correct widespread failures that led to the loss of the USS Bonhomme Richard as a a result of arson more than a year ago.

A sailor charged with starting the fire that destroyed USS Bonhomme Richard had been assigned to the ship's crew after dropping out of Navy SEAL training, according to a newly unsealed court document.

The U.S. Navy says a sailor has been charged with starting a fire last year that destroyed a warship docked off San Diego.

A senior defense official says arson is suspected as the cause of a July 12 fire that left extensive damage to the USS Bonhomme Richard and a U.S. Navy sailor is being questioned as a potential suspect. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy, File)SAN DIEGO Arson is suspected as the cause of a July 12 fire that left extensive damage to the USS Bonhomme Richard docked off San Diego, and a U.S. Navy sailor was being questioned as a potential suspect, a senior defense official said Wednesday. If the Bonhomme Richard is not repaired, it could cost the Navy up to $4 billion to replace it, according to defense analysts. The Bonhomme Richard was nearing the end of a two-year upgrade estimated to cost $250 million. But winds coming off the San Diego Bay whipped up the flames and the fire spread up the elevator shafts and the exhaust stacks.

A helicopter from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 3 combats a fire aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) at Naval Base San Diego, Tuesday, July 14, 2020. A Navy statement says there's been significant progress and much less smoke is being emitted from the USS Bonhomme Richard on Tuesday. Experts say the stubborn fire on board the USS Bonhomme Richard illustrates how difficult ship blazes are to put out once they tear through a vessel. There have been pockets of fire throughout the 840-foot (255-meter) amphibious assault ship that have flared since it began Sunday morning. For this class of ship, the open area above the vehicle storage is all open, a big hangar, he said.

Fire crews battle the fire on the USS Bonhomme Richard, Monday, July 13, 2020, in San Diego. Fire crews continue to battle the blaze Monday after 21 people suffered minor injuries in an explosion and fire Sunday on board the USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)SAN DIEGO The battle to save the USS Bonhomme Richard from a ravaging fire entered a third day in San Diego Bay on Tuesday with indications that the situation aboard the amphibious assault ship was improving. On Monday, health officials warned people to stay indoors as acrid smoke wafted across San Diego from one of the Navys worst shipyard fires in recent years. However, the flames were burning plastic, cabling and other materials, sending a haze over downtown San Diego.

Smoke rises from the USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego Sunday, July 12, 2020, in San Diego after an explosion and fire Sunday on board the ship at Naval Base San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)SAN DIEGO Firefighters on land, in the air and on the water on Monday were still battling a blaze on a Navy ship that injured at least 21 people and sent smoke billowing over San Diego. Sobeck told the San Diego Union-Tribune that there was no ordnance on board, and while the ship holds a million gallons of fuel, that is well below any heat source. About 160 sailors and officers were on board when an explosion and flames sent up a huge plume of dark smoke from the 840-foot (255-meter) amphibious assault vessel, which has been docked at Naval Base San Diego and was undergoing routine maintenance. The fire was not a fueled by fuel oil, hazardous materials or electrical causes, Sobeck told the newspaper.

SAN DIEGO At least one person was treated for smoke inhalation after a fire broke out Sunday on board a ship at Naval Base San Diego, military officials said. The blaze was reported shortly before 9 a.m. on USS Bonhomme Richard, said Krishna Jackson, the bases public information officer. No other injuries were immediately reported, Jackson said. San Diego is the Bonhomme Richards home port and it was undergoing routine maintenance at the time of the fire. The ship has the capacity to deploy and land helicopters, smaller boats and amphibious vehicles.