Fire breaks out aboard USS Gerald R. Ford in Red Sea

March 12, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

A fire broke out aboard the US Navy’s aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), while it was operating in the Red Sea on March 12, injuring two sailors but leaving the warship fully operational, according to US naval authorities.

In a statement released by US Naval Forces Central Command and US 5th Fleet, the Navy said the fire originated in the ship’s main laundry spaces and was not combat-related. The crew quickly contained the blaze.

“On March 12, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) experienced a fire that originated in the ship’s main laundry spaces. The cause of the fire was not combat-related and is contained,” the command said in a post on social media.

View on Twitter.

Two sailors sustained injuries during the incident and are currently receiving medical treatment. Officials described their injuries as non-life-threatening, adding that both personnel are in stable condition.

The Navy also confirmed that the fire did not damage the carrier’s propulsion plant and that the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier remains fully mission capable.

At the time of the incident, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and its strike group were operating in the Red Sea in support of Operation Epic Fury, the ongoing US-led military campaign targeting Iranian military capabilities across the region.

Operation Epic Fury: US details first 48 hours of military action against Iranian targets

Operations

The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group has been deployed for an extended period, with the carrier having departed Naval Station Norfolk on June 24, 2025, for what was originally planned as a routine deployment to Europe.

During the deployment, the strike group conducted operations across multiple theaters. After initially operating in the Atlantic and the US Sixth Fleet area, the carrier sailed above the Arctic Circle and across the Mediterranean while participating in multinational exercises.

Later in the deployment, the strike group was redirected to the Caribbean for US Southern Command missions before returning across the Atlantic amid rising tensions involving Iran.

Earlier this month, the aircraft carrier transited the Suez Canal for the first time and entered the Red Sea, moving into the US Central Command area of responsibility to support ongoing operations in the Middle East.

Commissioned in 2017, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is the lead ship of the US Navy’s new Ford-class aircraft carriers and the largest warship ever built.

The nuclear-powered supercarrier can carry more than 75 aircraft and operates with a crew of over 4,000 sailors and aviators. It introduces several new technologies compared to the older Nimitz-class carriers, including the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) and advanced radar systems designed to increase sortie generation rates and reduce manpower requirements.

These capabilities allow the carrier to launch and recover aircraft at a significantly higher tempo, providing combatant commanders with enhanced power-projection capabilities during sustained maritime operations.

Officials said additional information about the incident will be released as it becomes available, but emphasized that the warship remains fully operational and capable of carrying out its mission.