DODFireNews APRIL 1, 2024
A fire incident occurred in the engine room of the USNS Sgt. William R. Button (T-AK-3012), resulting in the ship being stranded off the coast of Dauphin Island in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday. The USNS Sgt. William R. Button is a Military Sealift Command vessel that was engaged in routine operations at the time of the fire, as confirmed by MST spokesman Thomas Van Leunen in a statement to USNI News.
With 53 individuals on board at the time of the incident, the ship was left stranded approximately 24 miles from Dauphin Island, as reported by Alabama's Channel 5 News WKRG. Fortunately, the crew successfully utilized the onboard CO2 fire suppression system to extinguish the fire, with no reported injuries. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
Following the incident, four tugboats were deployed to tow the ship to Alabama Shipyard in Mobile, Ala. Although the ship was initially expected to arrive by 6 a.m. on Friday, it ultimately reached the shipyard at 12:45 p.m., according to WKRG. Van Leunen stated that the USNS Sgt. William R. Button was in Alabama for scheduled maintenance.
Originally built by General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division in Quincy, Mass., the ship was acquired by the Navy in 1986. It initially served as MV Sgt. William R. Button before transitioning to USNS Sgt. William R. Button in 2009, as per Navy records. The vessel is part of the Navy's Maritime Prepositioning Force.
