We recently reported that the Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyers (DDGs), after being nearly metaphorically and bureaucratically “sunk” by a combination of an underperforming deck gun and atrociously expensive ammo that fell far short of their long-range striking promises, were metaphorically “raised” by the prospect of being converted into a platform for hypersonic missiles.
Well, by eerily coincidental timing, less than a week after that article was published, the lead ship of that recently redeemed class of warships faced a danger that could’ve literally sunk it or at least put it out of action for an extended period of time: a shipboard fire.
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
This latest disturbing development comes to us courtesy of an April 22, 2026, article in The Maritime Executive titled “Report: Three Injured in Fire Aboard USS Zumwalt.” To wit, “According to USNI and Naval Surface Forces, a fire was reported aboard Zumwalt at about 2145 hours on April 19. The crew managed to put it out, but three sailors were injured; two were treated at the scene, and the third was taken to the hospital. All are in stable condition…An investigation into the circumstances of the blaze and the extent of the damage is underway.”
Although not specifically named, it would be logical (speaking based upon my own prior law enforcement experience in the military and Federal civilian arenas alike) to presume that the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) will be one of the agencies participating in the investigation, at least until, if and when the possibility of deliberate sabotage is ruled out.
Since the incident took place whilst the Zumwalt was docked at a shipyard in the city of Pascagoula, Mississippi, chances are that the Pascagoula Police Department and/or the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and/or the Mississippi Department of Public Safety will contribute to the investigation as well, i.e., a shared military & civilian jurisdictional affair.
210421-N-FC670-1062 PACIFIC OCEAN (April 21, 2021) Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) participates in U.S. Pacific Fleet’s Unmanned Systems Integrated Battle Problem (UxS IBP) 21, April 21. UxS IBP 21 integrates manned and unmanned capabilities into challenging operational scenarios to generate warfighting advantages. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Shannon Renfroe)
Zumwalt-Class. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Zumwalt-Class, the largest destroyer on Earth today.
Ironically enough, going back to what we mentioned about the notion of the hypersonic missile launching platform serving as the Zumwalt class’s saving grace, the specific purpose of USS Zumwalt’s presence in the Pascagoula dockyard in the first place was the installation of the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) missile that’s replacing the infamously underachieving & overpriced 155mm (6.1-inch) Advanced Gun System (AGS).
It remains to be seen how far back the schedule for the retrofitting and refloating of the USS Zumwalt will be delayed by the fire.
“Here We Go Again”: Other Recent Shipboard Fires on USN Vessels
The USS Zumwalt’s ordeal is undoubtedly making the Navy brass and civilian followers of military-related current events alike say, “Oh no, not again.” That’s because this is just the latest in a recent string of shipboard fires afflicting USN warships:
-Most infamously, there was the laundry room conflagration aboard the supercarrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), which took place on March 12, 2026, and required more than two hundred crew members to be treated for smoke inhalation; one sailor had to be medically evacuated. Reportedly, the Ford could be out of action for 12 to 14 months due to this fire.
-As if one nuclear-powered aircraft carrier fire weren’t bad enough from a carrier shortage standpoint, the Nimitz-class “flattop” USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) suffered a small fire on or about April 14, 2026.
(Dec. 9, 2018) Following a multi-day process that includes moving the ship from the land level facility to the dry dock, the future USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG 1002) is made ready before flooding of the dry dock at General Dynamic-Bath Iron Works shipyard, and subsequent launching of the third Zumwalt-class destroyer. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of General Dynamics-Bath Iron Works/Released)
This incident transpired whilst the warship was docked at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia, for maintenance. Three members of the “Ike’s” crew were treated by the ship’s medical team for minor injuries and returned to full duty.
Now the Zumwalt incident makes three fires aboard USN warships in one and a half months, a very disturbing trend.
It’s a testament to the quality of USN shipboard firefighting training that none of the three incidents resulted in additional fatalities or catastrophic damage to the vessels.
USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) Brief History and Vital Stats
DDG-1000 is, fittingly, the lead ship of the Zumwalt class. Built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (GDBIW)—located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine—she was laid down on November 17, 2011, launched on October 28, 2013, christened on April 12, 2014, and commissioned on October 15, 2016.
Described by the official U.S. Navy info page as “the largest and most technologically advanced surface combatant in the world,” USS Zumwalt has a displacement of 15,995 metric tons, a hull length of 610 feet, a beam width of 80.7 feet, a max speed of 30+ knots, and a crew complement of 197 commissioned officers and enlisted seamen.
USS Zumwalt has two sister ships:
-USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001); commissioned on January 26, 2019, and named for Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Anthony Monsoor, a Navy SEAL who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Ramadi, Iraq, on Sept. 29, 2006
-USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002), launched on December 9, 2018, with commissioning tentatively slated for 2027, and named for a U.S. President who had a rather inauspicious stint as commander-in-chief of the U.S. Armed Forces during the Vietnam War but did serve honorably as a naval officer in World War II (attaining the rank of Commander [O-5]).
Thus far, USS Zumwalt is the only member of the trio to have received the CPS retrofit, though both the Monsoor and the Johnson are scheduled to receive the same 12-missile CPS configuration. Work on the Johnson has already begun, with the forward gun mount removed and major ‘rip-out’ activities completed to strip obsolete equipment. DDG-1001 is expected to return to service before DDG-1002 enters dry dock in 2027 for the latter’s own modernization period.
Looking Back on the Namesake
Admiral Elmo Russell “Bud” Zumwalt Jr. (November 29, 1920 – January 2, 2000) was one of the most beloved and revered United States Navy officers ever to hold the position of Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), holding that position from July 1970—thus becoming the youngest officer ever named to the post, age 49 at the time—until July 1975.
From a technical standpoint, his impressive array of accomplishments during his stint as CNO included the commissioning of the Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigates (FFGs), the creation of the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), and championing the F-14 Tomcat as the USN’s replacement for the F-4 Phantom II.
About the Author: Christian D. Orr
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (with a concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He is also the author of the book “Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series,” the second edition of which was recently published.
