On 26 October 1966 at approximately 0728 hours local time, as Oriskany was preparing to begin flight operations and stowing ordnance from night operations, an alarm was sounded for a fire in compartment A-107-M, a flare locker, containing over 250 MK-24 magnesium flares, located just off the forward hangar deck, adjacent to the Starboard sponson.

The Oriskany sounded general quarters and initiated an emergency breakaway from the Hassayampa, dropping hoses into the sea between the two ships to let it pull away to port.

About 10 minutes into the fire, the pressure became so great that the doors blew out, igniting a helicopter located on the port side forward of the hangar deck.

Other sailors in the area worked to move aircraft, many of which were bomb and fuel laden, from the hangar to the flight deck to prevent them from catching fire.

[2] Closer to the fire, sailors began attempting to evacuate "officers' country", a series of staterooms occupied largely by pilots assigned to Oriskany's air wing.

[2] Aircraft in the hangar bay caught fire, and nearby sailors attempting to cool the area were burned.

Sailors aboard Hassayampa watched in horror while slowly pulling away to starboard still recovering hoses dragging in the sea.

[2] Nearby, the executive officer of the air wing's Crusader squadron, finding himself in a similar situation, stripped naked and forced his way through his porthole.

Frustrated over the lack of progress, the sailor tried to find out if there was something keeping help from reaching him, and discovered that a large amount of water from the firefighting efforts had settled over the hatch.

Trapped by water and smoke, the fireman continued to try to keep himself safe until his supervisor and the ship's ordnance officer, a qualified Navy diver who happened to find scuba gear, entered the compartment and rescued him.

One of the enlisted men left the void to seek out an OBA, and found a pair of stretcher bearers to help carry out the injured officers.

Several sailors, including the Chief Ordnance Officer, were court-martialed and charged with 44 counts of manslaughter[4] for their actions immediately prior to the fire; however, all were acquitted.