A fire that broke out on the US’s biggest warship raged for 30 hours before it was extinguished.

Three sailors on the Gerald R Ford had to receive medical treatment, and dozens suffered smoke inhalation.

More than 600 sailors and crew members lost their beds after the blaze broke out in the laundry room, The New York Times reported. Some have spent days bunking down on floors and tables instead.

It marks the second embarrassing incident for the US’s aircraft carrier, the largest warship ever constructed, while it supports American forces in the Middle East during the war with Iran.

According to NPR, the warship’s lavatories are badly designed and regularly break down during the months at sea. An email from March 2025 noted 205 problems with the system in just four days.

On Monday, Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper, reported a sailor had been flown off the Ford to receive medical treatment following the fire. They are in a stable condition.

The investigation into the cause of the fire is still underway, but the US Navy has said it is not related to combat.

The Ford has been at sea for around 10 months, having been sent from the Mediterranean in October to the Caribbean as part of the armada Donald Trump assembled around Venezuela.

Following the capture of Nicolas Maduro, the former Venezuelan leader, in January by US special forces, it was sent to the Middle East as tensions mounted with Iran.

Crew members have reportedly been told they will be in position until May, meaning they have spent around a year at sea, which is twice the length of a normal aircraft carrier deployment.

“Ships get tired too, and they get beat up over the course of long deployments,” said Rear Adml John F Kirby, a former Pentagon press secretary.

“You can’t run a ship that long and that hard and expect her and her crew to perform at peak capacity.”

“On March 12, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) experienced a fire that originated in the ship’s main laundry spaces. The cause of the fire was not combat-related and is contained,” US Naval Forces Central Command said in a statement.

“There is no damage to the ship’s propulsion plant, and the aircraft carrier remains fully operational.

“Two sailors are currently receiving medical treatment for non-life-threatening injuries and are in stable condition. Additional information will be provided when available.”

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