USS New Orleans Fire Probe: Crew Failures Prolonged Blaze 11 Hours

A command investigation into the August 2025 fire aboard USS New Orleans (LPD-18) reveals that a cigarette or vape likely ignited a storeroom, but crew failures allowed the fire to burn for 11 hours. The report, released Friday, highlights persistent readiness and firefighting deficiencies despite lessons from the 2020 USS Bonhomme Richard fire. This underscores ongoing risks to naval force readiness in the Indo-Pacific.