ALBAWABA- Two U.S. sailors were injured after a fire broke out aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Thursday, adding that the vessel remains fully operational.
According to CENTCOM, the blaze started in the ship’s main laundry rooms and was quickly contained by the crew. The incident was not related to combat operations and caused no damage to the carrier’s propulsion systems or flight deck activities.
The two injured sailors sustained minor wounds and are in stable condition while receiving medical treatment, officials said. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.
The carrier is currently operating in the Red Sea as part of Operation Epic Fury, supporting U.S. military operations amid the ongoing Joint U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy’s newest and largest aircraft carrier, recently transited the Suez Canal before entering the Red Sea to reinforce American naval presence in the region.
It has joined the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) Carrier Strike Group, already deployed in the Arabian Sea and Gulf region as part of the broader U.S.–Israeli military campaign launched in late February targeting Iranian missile, nuclear, and military infrastructure.
The deployment of two U.S. supercarriers marks one of the largest American naval buildups in the Middle East in decades. A third carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), is reportedly in pre-deployment training but has not yet joined the regional operation.
