Key points
- The fire broke out on the USS New Orleans
- It was in the southern island of Okinawa
- The blaze was finally put out after 12 hours
ISLAMABAD: A fire burned aboard a US Navy warship anchored off Okinawa for 12 hours, injuring two sailors, a statement from the Navy’s 7th Fleet in Japan said.
The fire aboard the USS New Orleans, an amphibious transport dock ship with a crew of more than 360 sailors and capable of carrying 800 troops, began about 4pm local time on Wednesday and was extinguished early Thursday morning, according to the CNN.
🚨BREAKING NEWS Fire has broke out aboard the USS New Orleans off the Okinawa coast at U.S. Naval Base White Beach. No casualties reported at this time. NHK reporting Japanese Coast Guard ships assisting to put out the fire. The 684′ Northrop Grumman LPD has a crew of 400. And… pic.twitter.com/gjabwZZBdZ
— #TheFreeHawaiian (@free_hawaiian) August 20, 2025
Two US sailors were treated for minor injuries from the fire.
Investigation
“The cause of the fire is currently under investigation… New Orleans’ crew will remain aboard the ship,” the statement said.
The 208.4-metre (684-foot), 24,433-ton amphibious transport dock ship is anchored off the White Beach Naval Facility.
Japan’s Coast Guard said that initially the US military sought assistance from Japan, but then cancelled the request before then renewing it around 7:30 pm (1030 GMT).
Four Japanese vessels — from the Coast Guard, the navy and private contractors — spent the night dousing the blaze, spokesman Tetsuhiro Azumahiga told AFP.
The United States has around 54,000 military personnel stationed in Japan, mostly on Okinawa.
