© 2024 88.9 KETR
Public Radio for Northeast Texas
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Employee Admits To Setting Navy Sub Fire To Get Out Of Work Early

The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Miami (SSN 755) enters a dry dock to begin an engineered overhaul at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine.
Jim Cleveland
/
U.S. Navy
The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Miami (SSN 755) enters a dry dock to begin an engineered overhaul at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine.

You remember that fire on the Navy submarine that caused $400 million in damage in May? Last month, we told you that a preliminary investigation had found the fire was started by a vacuum cleaner.

Well, it gets weirder.

Today, we learn that a civilian employee has admitted to setting the fire because he wanted to get out of work early.

The Associated Press reports:

"Casey James Fury, 24, of Portsmouth, N.H., faces up to life in prison on two counts of arson for allegedly setting fire to the USS Miami nuclear-powered attack submarine while it was in dry dock on May 23, and setting a second fire outside the sub on June 16.

"Fury was taking multiple medications for anxiety and depression, and told investigators he set the fires so he could get out of work, according a 7-page affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Portland on Monday.

"Fury, who was working on the sub as a painter and sandblaster, initially denied starting the fires, but eventually acknowledged his involvement, the affidavit reads."

Fury admitted to his involvement during a polygraph test. He was told he wasn't being truthful and that's when he caved.

Sea Coast Online reports that in the case of the second fire, Fury wanted to leave work early because he was distressed over a text conversation with an ex-girlfriend.

Sea Coast reports:

"Fury admitted to investigators that had began texting his former girlfriend and became anxious over their conversation.

"'At some point, he began texting his former girlfriend and attempted to convince her that the guy she started seeing was not just a friend like she had been claiming,' according to the affidavit. 'Fury explained that he became anxious over the text conversation with his ex-girlfriend and wanted to leave work.'"

Fury admitted to setting the first fire by setting rags on fire.

As we told you, "At the time of the fire, the submarine was at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine undergoing an overhaul. The submarine's nuclear plant was never in danger, it had been shut down for more than two months."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.