2 sailors injured in fire on U.S. warship in Japan, Navy says

A fire aboard a U.S. warship was declared extinguished early Thursday, 12 hours after it started off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, with two sailors being treated for minor injuries.

The blaze on the USS New Orleans began around 4 p.m. Wednesday local time (3 a.m. ET) as the 684-foot amphibious transport dock ship was anchored near the White Beach Naval Facility, the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet said in a statement.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, it said.

Sailors battling the flames received assistance from the crew of the USS San Diego, a similar ship moored nearby, along with the Japanese military and coast guard.

The Navy said the crew will remain on the USS New Orleans, which was commissioned in 2007 and can carry as many as 800 personnel.

The incident comes five years after a devastating blaze consumed the USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego, injuring more than 60 sailors and civilians. A sailor who was accused of intentionally setting fire to the $1.2 billion warship was acquitted in 2022.

The fire, which burned for five days in July 2020, prompted a Navy investigation that found widespread failures in leadership and training.