US Navy ship on fire; USS New Orleans engulfed in fire off Okinawa coast, crews fight to contain blaze
According to Japan’s public publisher NHK, the incident occurred at around 17.00 local (4 am), San Antonio -class ship, anchored near the White Beach Naval Facility, an important logistics center for the US Marine Pies operations on the island. The video, published by NHK, showed intense smoke rising from the bow as tugboats in sprayed water on both sides.
Contained but not extinguished
The US Navy’s 7th fleet confirmed the fire and said that the teams actively responded. “The crew, the crew, this evening, August 20, August 20, Japan’s Okinaawa, the USS New Orleans (LPD 18) responds to a fire. We will provide more details when they are available.” He said.
A US defense official later told the war zone and Business Insider that there was a fire, but fire -fighting operations continued and it was unclear when the fire would be completely extinguished. The injury was not reported and the evacuation order was not given.
Joint US-Japanese response
Japan Coast Guard confirmed that Camp Foster, a US Marine Corps base in Okinawa, reported that he reported the fire officials at 17:00 and asked for help. In a written version specified by the stars and strips, the authorities said, “The crew is currently dealing with firefighters, but we asked Japan to help the Fire Department from the Coast Guard.” Japanese self -defense force ships and coastal security patrol boats joined the US navy firefighters. Photographs published by the Japanese media and the US military sales points showed coordinated operations while working from the team to keep the fire under control.
What is USS New Orleans?
The USS New Orleans, which was appointed in 2007, is a San Antonio -class transportation pier designed for reconnaissance operations, Landing Craft and aircraft. It is located in the Supo, Japan, and was appointed to the US 7th fleet, the navy’s advanced distribution power in Indo-Pacific. White Beach, where the event occurs, serves as a staging area for sea and equipment and provides rapid deployment throughout the region.
From local time on Wednesday evening, the cause of the fire and the scope of the damage are under investigation. The navy did not explain which part of the ship was affected. Authorities emphasized that no dangerous material leakage or oil loss was detected and that injury was not reported between the crew or intervening.
The incident remembers previous high -profile ship fires in the navy, including the destructive 2020 fire in the USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego, but emphasized that the authorities are too early to make comparisons.
The fire comes at a sensitive time at the Indo-Pacific, where the US regularly carries out joint training and deterrent operations with allies. Although the navy does not show that the event will affect operational preparation, New Orleans is an important asset for amphibious tasks and disaster assistance in the region.
