A fire broke out Wednesday onboard the U.S. Navy ship USS New Orleans off the coast of Japan’s Okinawa island, the Navy said in a statement.
Crews were responding to the incident in the early evening local time, a Navy spokesperson told Newsweek. The fire, which began at around 4 p.m. local time, was was extinguished around 12 hours later.
“Two sailors were taken to New Orleans‘ medical for minor injuries,” the spokesperson said. The extent of the damage was still unclear.
Why It Matters
Japan hosts the largest number of American service members anywhere in the world outside of U.S. territory. The U.S. military’s presence in Japan—part of a decades-long security treaty arrangement—at times has been a point of frustration for the local population, with accidents closely scrutinized.
Okinawa, a military hub and the largest of Japan’s southwestern islands, houses garrisons of every single U.S. armed forces branch, with the operations of the Okinawa naval base spanning over a dozen key sites. Around two-thirds of the 52,000 U.S. troops in Japan are stationed across the island.
What To Know
The Japan coast guard learned about the fire onboard the New Orleans about an hour after the incident began, when crews responding to the incident put in the first of two requests for firefighting assistance near the White Beach naval facility, according to Japanese broadcast NHK.
Black smoke was seen rising from the vessel, and footage aired by local news station RBC showed a tug boat spraying a column of water at the ship’s bow. An All-Nippon News Network TV crew showed firefighting efforts continuing into the night.
There were no requests to evacuate the ship’s crew, the report said, and the Japan coast guard observed no oil spills.
Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force, coast guard, and U.S. facilities across Okinawa “also provided critical support to the firefighting efforts,” the Navy said.
The New Orleans is a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock that can carry up to 800 marines in addition to amphibious assault platforms like hovercraft and V-22 Osprey rotorcraft. The 24,400-ton warship measures 684 feet in length and 104 feet in width.
The White Beach naval base on the Katsuren peninsula is located within the Japanese city of Uruma.
The New Orleans, named for the Louisiana city where it was built, was commissioned by the Navy in 2007. In 2019, it was reassigned to its current home port of Sasebo in Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s main islands.
The Sasebo naval base is among the major facilities of the Japan-based U.S. Seventh Fleet, headquartered in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo at the mouth of Tokyo Bay. Yokosuka is also the home port of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington, the Navy’s only permanently forward-deployed flattop.
NHK said the New Orleans left Sasebo on August 14 and reached White Beach three days later.
What Happens Next
Fire began while the ship was anchored near White Beach, the Navy said.
“The cause of the fire is currently under investigation,” the statement said. “New Orleans‘ crew will remain aboard the ship.”
Update 8/20/25, 10:50 a.m ET: This breaking news story was updated with additional information.
Update 8/21/25, 2:13 a.m ET: This article was updated with additional comments from a U.S. Navy spokesperson.
