Final answer:
The fires during the USS Forrestal incident burned for 12 hours after being triggered by an electrical anomaly that caused a Zuni rocket to fire across the flight deck.
Step-by-step explanation:
The USS Forrestal fire, which occurred on July 29, 1967, was a devastating incident. The correct answer to the question 'How long did the fires burn during the USS Forrestal fire?' is c) 12 hours. The fire started when an electrical anomaly caused a Zuni rocket to fire across the flight deck, hitting an aircraft occupied by future senator John McCain. This triggered a catastrophic chain of explosions that fueled the fire. Efforts to extinguish the blaze were made more difficult due to heavy munitions exploding. It took courageous firefighting efforts by the crew to finally control the flames 12 hours after they started.