Man Faces Arson Charges In Fire On Nuclear Submarine

A Portsmouth man has been charged with arson in the fire on a nuclear submarine that caused $400 million in damage, the Associated Press is reporting.

According to the AP, Casey James Fury, 24, told investigators he set the fire because he was anxious and wanted to leave work. He faces two counts of arson and a potential sentence of life in prison, the AP reported.

The story said Fury told an investigator that "his anxiety started getting really bad," so took a lighter and set fire to rags on the top bunk in a bunk room.

Seven people required medical treatment after the May 23 fire on the USS Miami, a Groton-based nuclear submarine at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, according to Navy officials.

Rear Admiral Rick Breckenridge, Commander, Submarine Group TWO, emphasized at the time that the fire never threatened the submarine's nuclear reactor.

The fire occurred in a forward section of the sumbarine used mainly for living areas and command and control spaces.

The USS Miami had arrived in Portsmouth on March 1 for maintenance and system upgrades, according to the shipyard's website.

It has a crew of 13 officers and 120 enlisted personnel. Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, the Miami was commissioned on June 30, 1990, and its home port is Groton.