Fire Breaks Out Aboard US Navy Destroyer USS Zumwalt During Major Upgrades, 3 Injured

Three sailors were injured after a fire broke out aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt while the warship was docked at HII Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

The incident happened around 9:45 p.m. on April 19, 2026. According to the US Navy, the ship’s crew responded quickly and put out the fire before outside emergency teams were needed.

One sailor was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and is in stable condition. The other two sailors received first aid on board. All three are reported to be stable.

The Navy has not said where the fire started. An investigation is underway to find the cause and to assess any damage to the ship.

USS Zumwalt has been undergoing major modernization work at the shipyard since August 2023.

The upgrades are part of a plan to turn the destroyer into a platform capable of firing hypersonic missiles.

During the modernization, the ship’s original 155mm gun systems were removed and replaced with missile tubes linked to the Conventional Prompt Strike system.

The work is aimed at giving the destroyer long-range strike capability.

The ship was later undocked in December 2024 after major work on land and continued further preparations for readiness.

In January, it went to sea for trials after nearly three years, following installation of missile tubes designed for hypersonic weapons.

USS Zumwalt is the lead ship of its class, which was originally planned as a fleet of 32 vessels but was reduced to three due to rising costs and concerns about capabilities.

The other two ships in the class are USS Michael Monsoor and USS Lyndon B. Johnson. The estimated cost per ship is around $8 billion.

Last week, three sailors were injured in a fire aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in Norfolk, Virginia.

In March, another fire on USS Gerald R. Ford in the Red Sea injured three sailors and forced the evacuation of about 600 crew members from affected areas. Both incidents are still under investigation.

The Navy has not indicated whether the fire aboard Zumwalt will affect the destroyer’s modernization schedule or future operational timeline.

The service had earlier hoped the warship would be ready to deploy last year, though its readiness timeline remains unclear.

References: USNI, Stripes