Three Sailors Injured in Fire Aboard USS Zumwalt at Ingalls Shipyard
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PASCAgoula, Miss. — Three sailors were injured Tuesday night in a fire aboard the USS Zumwalt, a guided-missile destroyer currently undergoing maintenance at the Huntington Ingalls Industries Ingalls Shipbuilding facility.
The incident occurred at approximately 11:44 p.m. local time. Emergency responders from the shipyard and local fire departments arrived at the scene shortly after the alarm was raised. The three injured personnel were transported to a nearby medical facility for treatment. Officials have not released the names of the injured sailors or the severity of their injuries.
The USS Zumwalt, the lead ship of its class, is the Navy’s most advanced surface combatant. It is currently docked at the Ingalls Shipbuilding yard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, for scheduled repairs and modernization work. The ship has been undergoing extensive maintenance since arriving at the facility earlier this year.
A Navy spokesperson confirmed the fire but stated that the cause remains under investigation. No details have been released regarding the origin of the blaze or the specific location of the fire on the vessel. The ship’s crew and shipyard workers were evacuated from the affected area as a safety precaution.
The fire was contained and extinguished by first responders before it could spread to other sections of the ship or the surrounding shipyard infrastructure. Damage assessments are ongoing, and officials have not yet determined the extent of the impact on the vessel’s systems or its operational timeline.
The USS Zumwalt class was designed for littoral combat and has faced various technical challenges since its deployment. The ship has been the subject of ongoing maintenance efforts to address issues with its propulsion systems and other critical components.
As of Wednesday morning, the investigation into the fire’s cause continues. Navy officials have not indicated whether the incident will delay the ship’s return to active service. The shipyard has suspended operations in the immediate vicinity of the vessel pending further safety reviews.
Questions remain regarding the circumstances that led to the fire and whether similar risks exist in other areas of the shipyard. The Navy has not scheduled a press briefing to provide further updates on the incident.