11 Injured in Fire Aboard Amphib USS Iwo Jima

The amphib USS Iwo Jima suffered a fire late Thursday night while the ship was moored at Naval Station Mayport, Florida for a maintenance availability. 

Sailors aboard Iwo Jima reported smoke in a cargo hold at about 2345 hours, and an investigation identified the fire and confirmed that it had not spread to surrounding compartments. The crew of the Iwo Jima worked for five hours with sailors from USS The Sullivans, Naval Station Mayport firefighters and the Jacksonville Fire Department to put out the blaze.

In total, 11 Iwo Jima sailors reported minor injuries due to the fire, and they were treated at the scene and released. According to local TV media, the injuries included smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion.

The Navy is investigating the cause of the fire and determining the extent of the damage on board. The fire was contained to a single compartment, a spokeswoman for the ship's command said, and there has been no damage to adjacent ships or to the pier infrastructure. 

“Sailors are rigorously trained to combat casualties such as this fire, and we are grateful for the assistance of the installation and the local community to help ensure the safety of our people and our ships,” said Capt. Darrell Canady, commanding officer of Iwo Jima, in a statement after the fire. 

USNI News noted that the fire aboard USS Iwo Jima is the third instance of fire damage to a U.S. Navy surface combatant during a maintenance availability this year.