2 injured after fire aboard USS Gerald R. Ford in Red Sea: U.S. Navy

WASHINGTON, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Two sailors aboard USS Gerald R. Ford were injured when a fire broke out in the main laundry spaces of the aircraft carrier operating in the Red Sea, the U.S. Navy said Thursday.

"On March 12, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) experienced a fire that originated in the ship's main laundry spaces," the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said in a post on X.

The fire was not combat-related and has been contained, according to the post.

"There is no damage to the ship's propulsion plant, and the aircraft carrier remains fully operational," the command said.

The two sailors are receiving medical treatment for injuries that are not life-threatening and are currently in stable condition, said the command, adding that additional information will be released when it becomes available.

The Ford Carrier Strike Group began its latest deployment on June 24, departing from the U.S. state of Virginia for the U.S. European Command area of responsibility, later deploying to Latin America for counter-narcotics operations and then to the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalated.

As of Monday, the carrier has been at sea for 261 days and counting, according to a report from the U.S. online media Navy Times.

James Kilby, vice chief of naval operations, told lawmakers on March 4 that the carrier could reach an 11-month deployment, nearing the longest at-sea Navy deployment on record.

During the current deployment, the Ford has also faced plumbing problems affecting its nearly 650 onboard toilets. The aircraft carrier's vacuum wastewater collection system has malfunctioned repeatedly, prompting 42 maintenance calls since 2023, including 32 in 2025 alone, the NPR reported.