Overview
- The blaze started in a laundry dryer exhaust and burned for more than 30 hours, with the Navy stating it was not caused by combat.
- Nearly 200 sailors were treated or examined for smoke exposure, two suffered non–life-threatening injuries, and one medical evacuation was reported.
- About 600 crew members lost their bunks and are sleeping in communal areas as the ship’s laundry remains out of service.
- The carrier is transiting to Souda Bay, Crete, or another European port for repairs and a formal investigation after moving back through the Suez.
- The Navy is preparing USS George H. W. Bush as a relief carrier, reducing near-term presence in the region during an extended deployment already strained by recurring sanitation system failures.