Why a carrier fire is worse in harbour than at sea

Would Bonhomme Richard have fought the fire better if it had happened at sea?

Probably. At sea the ship would normally be more fully crewed, closed up, and ready to use its damage-control systems.

A major fire aboard Bonhomme Richard at sea would have met a more fully manned and closed-up warship. In harbour, maintenance activity, removed doors, contractors, and systems taken offline can make containment much harder. Those conditions underpin the July 2020 judgment that the ship would have been better placed to fight the fire at sea.