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A fire broke out on Wednesday aboard the USS New Orleans, a US Navy ship, off the coast of Japan’s Okinawa Island. According to a Navy statement, crews began responding to the incident in the early evening local time. The fire started around 4 p.m. and was extinguished approximately 12 hours later.
Two sailors sustained minor injuries and were treated on board the New Orleans, but the extent of the damage remained unclear at the time of reporting.
### Why It Matters
Japan hosts the largest number of American service members outside US territory. The presence of the US military in Japan—part of a decades-long security treaty arrangement—is sometimes a point of contention among local residents, with accidents receiving close scrutiny.
Okinawa, an important military hub and the largest of Japan’s southwestern islands, houses garrisons of every US armed forces branch. Around two-thirds of the 52,000 US troops in Japan are stationed across Okinawa.
### What to Know
The Japan Coast Guard learned about the fire on the New Orleans about an hour after it started when responding crews requested firefighting assistance near the White Beach naval facility. Black smoke was seen rising from the vessel, and footage by local news station RBC showed a tugboat spraying water at the ship’s bow. Firefighting efforts continued into the night.
There were no requests to evacuate the crew, and the Japan Coast Guard observed no oil spills. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, coast guard, and US facilities across Okinawa provided critical support during firefighting operations.
### The New Orleans
The USS New Orleans is a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock that can carry up to 800 marines along with amphibious assault platforms like hovercraft and V-22 Osprey rotorcraft. Measuring 684 feet in length and 104 feet in width, the 24,400-ton warship is based at Sasebo naval base on Kyushu, among facilities of the Japan-based US Seventh Fleet.
The White Beach naval base is located within the Japanese city of Uruma. 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, according to the Navy statement. “The cause of the fire is currently under investigation,” the statement said. “New Orleans’ crew will remain aboard the ship.”
**Update (8/20/25): Additional information was added to this breaking news story.**
**Update (8/21/25): Comments from a U.S. Navy spokesperson were included in this article.**
