France could have lost its only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier - details

A fire broke out in a technical room near the hangar of the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which is undergoing repairs in Toulon. The fire was extinguished in over two hours; the alarm sounded shortly before 11:30, and by 13:50 the fire was declared out. According to the Mediterranean Maritime Prefecture, there were no casualties, and the ship's nuclear facilities are not at risk. The probable cause is cutting wood with a blowtorch.

A fire broke out on Monday, October 5, on the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which is undergoing repairs in Toulon. The alarm sounded shortly before 11:30 in a technical room no larger than 10 square meters, located next to the aircraft hangar. Since the ship is under repair, there are no aircraft in the hangar. The fire was extinguished in over two hours: it was brought under control at 12:35 and declared out at 13:50. The crew intervened immediately, and later military firefighters from the Toulon base arrived to assist. According to the Mediterranean Maritime Prefecture, there were no reports of casualties, and the ship's nuclear facilities are not at risk. The probable cause, according to the prefecture, is cutting wood with a blowtorch. An investigation is ongoing, involving the Marseille marine fire brigade. Technical work on the aircraft carrier has been underway since late August and will continue until early December. Only the United States (11 ships) and France have nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Until this summer, the Charles de Gaulle was in the eastern Mediterranean, where it was deployed to prevent the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. It will be replaced by the new aircraft carrier La France Libre in 2038.