USS Gerald R. Ford Limps to Port After 30-Hour Blaze Guts Crew Quarters
The USS Gerald R. Ford, deployed against Iran for nine months, will dock in Crete for repairs as nearly 200 sailors were treated for smoke injuries.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, America's newest and the world's largest aircraft carrier, is heading to the Greek island of Crete for emergency repairs after a devastating fire aboard the vessel burned for roughly 30 hours before crews brought it under control, US officials confirmed Tuesday.
The blaze broke out in the ship's main laundry area and quickly spread through ventilation ducts to other sections of the carrier, which is currently positioned in the Red Sea as part of ongoing operations against Iran. Nearly 200 sailors received treatment for smoke-related injuries, approximately 100 sleeping berths were destroyed, and one service member had to be airlifted from the ship for further medical care. Some 600 crew members have been left without their sleeping spaces, forced to rest on floors and makeshift areas while repairs continue.
The Ford, which carries over 5,000 sailors and more than 75 military aircraft including F-18 Super Hornets, will proceed to Naval Support Activity Souda Bay on Crete for what officials described as more than a week of pierside repairs. US officials did not specify an exact duration for the stay.
The US military was quick to stress that the fire caused no damage to the ship's propulsion plant and that the aircraft carrier remained "fully operational." But the temporary departure of the Ford from the theater represents a notable reduction in American naval power in the region at a moment when the carrier strike group — supported by guided missile cruisers and destroyers — has been central to the campaign against Iran.
The fire has also reignited concerns about the toll of the Ford's prolonged deployment. The warship has been at sea for nine months straight, including prior operations in the Caribbean against Venezuela before arriving in the Middle East. That extended timeline has raised serious questions about sailor morale and vessel readiness. Reports have emerged suggesting that naval investigators are examining whether the fire may have been an act of sabotage by exhausted crew members seeking to end the deployment, though the Navy has not confirmed those claims.