Fire on U.S. Aircraft Carrier Raged for Hours, Sailors Say

The Ford is now entering its 10th month of deployment after arriving in the Middle East from the Caribbean.

It took more than 30 hours for sailors to put out the fire aboard the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford last week, sailors and military officials said, as the beleaguered ship continued its monthslong slog through President Trump’s military operations.

The fire started in the ship’s main laundry area last Thursday. By the time it was over, more than 600 sailors and crew members had lost their beds and have since been bunking down on floors and tables, officials said.

The U.S. military’s Central Command said two sailors received treatment for “non-life-threatening injuries.” People on the ship reported that dozens of service members suffered smoke inhalation.

And in the category of non-life-threatening, but still not ideal, many sailors have not been able to do laundry since the fire.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/us/politics/uss-ford-fire-iran-venezuela.html?unlocked_article_code=1.T1A.5Eyg.31yg8n6xcTF9&smid=url-share