The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard says a small fire occurred inside the USS Miami sub Monday afternoon.
The fire occurred in the control room of the submarine while workers were doing repairs. Shipyard authorities say the fire was small, caused by sandblasting grit that damaged a temporary light fixture. And, they say, it was quickly extinguished by ship crew.
The same vessel was the target of arson by one of the shipyard workers last May. The subsequent $450 million in damage affected mostly the forward section of the sub. The control room is the area most affected by the original fire.
The arsonist, Casey Fury, was sentenced last Friday to 17 years in federal prison through a plea deal.