A fire burned for more than 30 hours aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford on March 12, forcing more than 600 sailors from their berths. The Navy says the carrier remains “operational.” Large numbers of the crew are sleeping on floors and tables.
Investigators are examining whether the fire was deliberate.
The blaze began in a laundry exhaust system and spread through ventilation into living spaces. Dozens of sailors were treated for smoke inhalation. One was evacuated. The ship’s main laundry facility was destroyed.
The Ford has been at sea since June 2025 — nearly nine months, with the deployment expected to stretch to 11 — first in the Caribbean for operations against Venezuela.
Sailors were told they were heading home in March. Within hours, the ship was redirected across the Atlantic to West Asia.
It is now operating in the Red Sea as part of U.S. strikes on Iran.
Conditions on board have deteriorated during the deployment. The sewage system has repeatedly failed. Navy officials confirmed that pipes were clogged with clothing and rope. In one four-day period, the system broke down more than 200 times.
Basic services have broken down.
Key systems have failed under continuous use.
The Pentagon has ordered the carrier to Naval Support Activity Souda Bay in Crete for repairs and assessment. Officials describe the stop as temporary. Reports indicate the work could take at least a week, with the possibility of longer maintenance once the ship returns to the United States.
The war continues. The crew has been pushed past its limits. The carrier has been forced out of the war zone.
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