A Navy spokesperson told Newsweek that it had responded to the fire during local time in the evening. The flames were reported to be inclusive and there were no injuries, but the extent of the damage was still unknown, Newsweek reported.
Japan hosts the largest number of American service members anywhere in the world outside of US territory. The presence of US military in Japan was part of a decades-long security treaty arrangement, a point of dissatisfaction for local residents, and the accident was closely scrutinized.
A military hub, the largest Okinawa on Japan’s Southwest Island, houses all military branches of the US military, and the operation of Okinawa Naval Base spans 12 important sites. Approximately two-thirds of Japan’s 52,000 US troops are stationed throughout the island.
The Japanese Coast Guard learned about the New Orleans fire just after 5pm local time. According to Japanese broadcasting NHK, crew members responded to the first of the first requests for fire support near the White Beach Navy Facility.
Black smoke was seen rising from the ship, and footage aired by local news station RBC showed a tugboat spraying a column of water onto the ship’s bow. The TV crew of All-Nippon News Network showed firefighting activities that continued into the evening.
According to the report, there was no request to evacuate the ship’s crew, and the Japanese Coast Guard observed that there was no oil spill.
MNA