Navy assessing damage after fire aboard frigate

There were no injuries and damage is still being assessed after fire broke out recently in the forward engine room of a Canadian navy frigate.

One of HMCS Fredericton's two gas turbines, the ship's main propulsion system, caught fire while the frigate was at sea on training off Nova Scotia late last week.

Maj. Paul Doucette, a navy spokesman, said the ship's fire-suppression system was activated right away and extinguished the fire within a few minutes.

"Any time there's a fire it's obviously a pretty serious event," he said.

Crewmembers responded right away and were given the all-clear after about 45 minutes.

The frigate returned to base for damage inspection on Friday for a few hours before heading back out to sea to resume its training schedule.

Fredericton's crew is preparing the ship for a high-readiness combat state.

It could be deployed later this year to the international anti-piracy effort off the coast of Somalia.