--- title: "A nuclear submarine was destroyed by a guy trying to get out of work early" description: "A mysterious fire destroyed a nuclear submarine, and it was all because of a not-so-bright contractor who wanted to get out of work early." date: "2022-10-17" modified: "2023-01-12" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake.md" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/nuclear-submarine-destroyed/" categories: - "History" - "Navy" - "Ships" - "Tactical" --- # A nuclear submarine was destroyed by a guy trying to get out of work early ![uss miami fire]() *KITTERY, Maine (March 15, 2012) The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Miami (SSN 755) enters dry dock to begin an engineered overhaul at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. (U.S. Navy photo by Jim Cleveland/Released)* A mysterious 2012 fire that basically destroyed a nuclear submarine while it was in port was caused by a not-so-bright contractor who wanted to get out of work early. The USS Miami docked at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine in 2012, scheduled for a 20-month engineering overhaul and some regularly scheduled upgrades. While in the dock, a fire started on the sub, which spread to crew living quarters, command and control sections, and its torpedo rooms. Repairing the damage and completing the upgrades after the fire was estimated to cost more than 10 million and three years. By 2013, it was decided the sub would not be fixed and was eventually [decommissioned]() after only 24 years. The nuclear-powered Los Angeles class attack submarine, which took part in clandestine Cold War missions as well as firing cruise missiles to support operations in Iraq and Serbia, had earned the nickname "the Big Gun." The ship was cut up for scrap in Washington state's Puget Sound at the cost of million. The perpetrator was Casey James Fury, a civilian painter and sandblaster who wanted to go home early. Fury set fire to a box of greasy rags. On appeal, he would complain to a judge of ineffective counsel, as his defense lawyer forced him to admit to setting the fire in exchange for a lighter sentence. According to counsel, he set that fire and a fire outside the sub three weeks later, because of his untreated [anxiety](). Fury was sentenced to 17 years in prison, five years of parole, and ordered to pay the Navy 10 million in restitution, an amount prosecutors deemed "unlikely to collect." ![Fury, the man responsible for the destruction of the submarine]() The ship caught fire at 5:41 p.m. and [burned]() until 3:30 a.m. the next day. It took 100 firefighters to stop the fire. One of the responding firefighters called it "the worst fire he's ever seen." The Navy originally spent another million in initial [repairs]() before deciding to scrap the Miami. "There seems little doubt that the loss of that submarine for an extended period of time impacts the Navy's ability to perform its functions," U.S. District Court Justice George Z. Singal said at Fury's sentencing. The Navy will just have to make do with the other 41 Los Angeles class submarines in the fleet. **Read more on WATM:** [**The best military history books of 2022**]() [**Ukraine is getting these 3 armored fighting vehicles from the US, France and Germany**]() [**3 up-and-coming outdoor therapy nonprofits for veterans**]() [**Interview with Glen Powell, ‘Devotion’ actor and producer**]() ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()