The Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower sustained a small fire on Tuesday while it was sidelined for maintenance.
The carrier is currently at Naval Support Activity Portsmouth, Virginia, after arriving at Norfolk Naval Shipyard on Jan. 8 to begin planned incremental availability following a nine-month deployment.
“Eight sailors were treated by ship’s medical and returned to full duty,” a Navy spokesperson told Military Times in an emailed statement.
The small fire that occurred was immediately contained, the spokesperson said, and extinguished by ship and shipyard personnel.
The Navy did not specify the cause of the fire.
The Eisenhower “remains on track” to complete its planned maintenance availability and return to the sea, according to the Navy.
The maintenance period is focused on providing technical updates and work on the carrier’s propulsion systems and combat systems, among other areas, to ensure “long-term mission readiness,” a Navy release said.
Before being sidelined, the Eisenhower deployed in October 2023 to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations and returned in July 2024.
The carrier, which included 4,000 people, as well as its strike group, battled Iran-backed Houthi drones during its time at sea and participated in Operation Prosperity Guardian, which saw the U.S. military defend commercial vessels in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks.
When the Eisenhower waded into Middle East waters in 2023, it was the first time a carrier had done so since 2021, when the Afghanistan war ended.
The fire aboard the Eisenhower was the second the U.S. Navy has dealt with aboard aircraft carriers in about a month. The USS Gerald R. Ford experienced what the Navy said was a non-combat fire March 12 in the main laundry room that was so bad the carrier was forced to travel to Split, Croatia, for repairs.
The fire damaged 100 sleeping berths and injured three sailors.
The Ford, which was in the Red Sea in support of Operation Epic Fury when the fire occurred, returned to the Mediterranean Sea after a five-day port call in Croatia.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
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