On Sunday morning, a massive fire broke out following an explosion from the USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego. As firefighters struggled to extinguish it, officials described the damage as a “great tragedy,” which might continue for days.

Overall, the accident had injured 17 out of the 160 sailors and four other civilians, according to a report from the Naval Surface Forces. Luckily, there were no fatalities, and all the sailors have been accounted for.

According to reports, San Diego Fire Chief Colin Stowel claimed that the fire could possibly burn for days despite the “a dozen fire engines and trucks” that have helped to put it out. In fact, as much as 150 firefighters responded to the scene.

In a Twitter post from the San Diego Fire Department, things escalated quickly. Initially, the Fire Department received a call at around 9 a.m. to respond to an incident in the Naval base. Within the span of several minutes, the accident erupted into a two-alarm fire, and before 10 a.m., it was already classified as a three-alarm fire. In a statement from Federal Fire San Diego Division Chief Rob Bondurant, he claimed that at 4 p.m. two firefighting teams were still deployed in the area to extinguish the massive fire “Federal Fire is rotating their crews aboard the ship with U.S. Navy firefighting crews from the waterfront to fight the fire in order to find the seat of the fire and extinguish it.” Bondurant continued, “Navy Region Southwest tugs are also continuously combating the fire from the bay.”

On Sunday evening, Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck addressed the media. He began by praising the sailors who have tried to save their ship, “We’re seeing just incredible results,” he remarked. Sobeck explained that the fire began in a lower storage area where most of the marine equipment was stored. While the fire’s exact cause remains unclear, Sobeck suggested that it might be the result of some “sort of a backdraft.” This usually happens due to over-pressurization as the compartment starts to heat up. Add into the fact that millions of gallons of fuel are stored within the vehicle, which might have contributed to the huge explosion.

In another Twitter post, the Fire Department showed aerial footage on the extent of the damage on the ship as a huge plume of smoke came out from the vessel.

Admiral Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations, described the accident as a “terrible tragedy” and took the opportunity to praise the firefighters who immediately responded to the scene. “Our thoughts and prayers are with our BHR Sailors, their families, and our emergency responders who continue to fight the fire,” the Navy Chief said.