A fire on the American Gerald R. Ford ship

The USS Gerald R. Ford (USS Gerald R.), belonging to the US Navy, which was sailing in the Red Sea in support of 'Operation Epic Fury' against Iran,

Ford - CVN 78) aircraft carrier reportedly caught fire on Thursday.

According to an official statement released by the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), the fire broke out on March 12 in the ship's main laundry area. Authorities, refuting various rumors circulating on social media, have confirmed that this was in no way caused by an enemy attack or a military conflict, and that the fire has now been completely extinguished.

Two sailors were injured in the incident, but their lives are not in danger. They are currently in stable condition and receiving medical treatment. As the fire did not cause any damage to the ship's propulsion plant, its operations continue uninterrupted, and steps have already been taken to provide support from the Navy's maintenance division for necessary electrical repair work.

This giant vessel, which entered the Red Sea last week on March 05 after passing through the Suez Canal, was engaged in operations in the northern Red Sea region off the coast of Al Wajh, Saudi Arabia, at the time of the incident. Three escort ships, USS Mahan, USS Bainbridge, and USS Winston S. Churchill, were also traveling with the aircraft carrier, providing security.

The operational period of this ship, which has been continuously deployed since June 2025, was extended on several occasions, and it was assigned to the Middle East region last month due to the military situation with Iran. If this ship is deployed for operations until mid-April, it will break the post-Vietnam War deployment record of 294 days set by the USS Abraham Lincoln in 2020. Furthermore, if this period is extended until May, it will be comparable to the longest ship deployment records of over 300 days reported during the Vietnam War.