Toilet paper and human error led to 11-hour USS New Orleans fire, investigation finds

Toilet paper and human error led to 11-hour USS New Orleans fire, investigation finds

The Navy said the exact cause of a fire aboard the USS New Orleans is unknown but that 100 boxes of toilet paper and crew mistakes made it worse.

USS New Orleans Fire Response Hindered by Initial Confusion ...

Toilet Paper and Human Error Fueled 11 Hour USS New Orleans Inferno

An 11 hour fire aboard the amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans caused roughly $12 million in damage after basic storage failures, inadequate preparation and human mistakes helped turn a shipboard emergency into an exhausting ordeal. The blaze erupted on Aug. 20, 2025, while the San Antonio class warship was operating off Okinawa, Japan. Sailors […]

“Arson”, “unauthorized smoking” posited as causes of ’25 US Navy ship fire near Okinawa; damage estimated at $12 million | Jon Mitchell Investigates

(File photo) Smoke rises from the USS New Orleans at around 6:45 pm on August 20, 2025 near Katsuren-Heshikiya, Uruma City. (Reader-provided photograph)