A fire that broke out aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) last week has forced the carrier off station in the Red Sea and into port for repairs, sidelining a warship on one of the longest carrier deployments in decades.
Ford is bound for Naval Support Activity (NSA) Souda Bay in Crete for more than a week of pierside repairs, a senior U.S. official confirmed Tuesday. The March 12 fire originated in the aft laundry facility and triggered a major damage control response that spread smoke damage into berthing spaces throughout the ship.
“Due to the fire, several berthing spaces and subsequently, more than 100 racks (beds) were lost,” a Pentagon spokesperson said. “An immediate plan to acquire replacement cots has already been established. The resiliency and mental grit of our Sailors has enabled USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) to support ongoing operations.”
To address the shortfall, the Navy pulled 1,000 mattresses from the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), currently pier-side in Norfolk, Va., over the weekend. The service has also gathered nearly 2,000 sweatsuits and other clothing items for distribution to the crew, as most laundry services remain offline.
On March 12, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) experienced a fire that originated in the ship’s main laundry spaces. The cause of the fire was not combat-related and is contained.
There is no damage to the ship’s propulsion plant, and the aircraft carrier remains fully operational.…
— U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet (@US5thFleet) March 12, 2026
One sailor was medically evacuated from the carrier and is in stable condition. Two others were treated for lacerations. More than 200 sailors received treatment for smoke inhalation and returned to duty, according to two sources familiar with the fire response. The New York Times reported the fire took 30 hours to extinguish, but a source told USNI News the figure referred to the full damage control effort, which included verifying the fire had not spread, not the duration of the blaze itself.
“Ship’s force is inspecting and overhauling affected spaces, and the cause of the fire is under investigation,” a U.S. 5th Fleet spokesperson said. “The ship continues to operate in the Red Sea, accomplishing U.S. Central Command tasking in support of Operation Epic Fury.”
Ford has been at sea for 266 days as of Tuesday, operating with escorts USS Bainbridge (DDG-96), USS Mahan (DDG-72), and USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81).
If the carrier remains deployed through mid-April, it will surpass the post-Vietnam War record of 294 days set by USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) in 2020.
