 "This handout photo taken on August 20, 2025 and received on August 21, 2025 from the Japan Coast Guard shows smoke coming from the US Navy vessel USS New Orleans as water is sprayed (L) to help put out the fire. AFP")
A US Navy ship burned for 12 hours straight, injuring two sailors, as it was anchored in Japan’s Okinawa, the US military said in a statement. The fire was doused after hours of struggle and was completely extinguished on Thursday morning.
“The cause of the fire is currently under investigation… New Orleans’ crew will remain aboard the ship,” the US 7th Fleet said in a statement.
The fire broke out on the USS New Orleans, a transport dock ship with a crew of more than 360 sailors and capable of carrying 800 troops, at 4 pm local time on Wednesday.
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.
Four Japanese vessels, from the Coast Guard, the navy and private contractors, spent the night dousing the blaze, spokesman Tetsuhiro Azumahiga told AFP.
At the time of the fire, the ship was anchored off the White Beach Naval Facility on the east coast of the Japanese island. The facility functions as a key staging point for US Marines and their equipment before they deploy to amphibious vessels like the USS New Orleans.
The United States has around 54,000 military personnel stationed in Japan, mostly on Okinawa.
The worst US Navy ship fire in recent years broke out in July 2020 aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard while it was docked in San Diego for upgrades to support F-35 fighter jets. The blaze raged for over four days, ultimately leading the Navy to scrap the billion-dollar vessel.
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