Washington - A cigarette was the cause of a May fire aboard the US aircraft carrier USS George Washington that injured 37 sailors, the US Navy reported Wednesday. Investigators believe the fire was started when a cigarette ignited "combustible material improperly stored" in an engineering room, according to a US Navy press release.
The Navy Wednesday relieved the commanding officer of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, Captain David Dykhoff, of duty due to a "loss of confidence in his ability to command" as well as his executive officer, Captain David Dober.
The fire, which lasted more than 12 hours before being extinguished, caused an estimated 70 million dollars in damage to the George Washington.
Repairs are nearly complete and the ship will depart San Diego, California, on August 21 for Japan.
