Coast Guard cutter crew battles shipboard fire

An investigator on board the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche, looks back towards the superstructure of the cutter in the Western Pacific Ocean, September 19. (Coast Guard Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Aidan Cooney)

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL 751) arrived at Yokosuka, Japan, today after combating a shipboard engineering fire on September 20, during a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet’s area of operations.

Black smoke was reported at 5:18 p.m. (local time) Sunday, and investigations revealed fires in the exhaust stack and nearby spaces.

After 90 minutes of firefighting, the fires were confirmed extinguished.

Five crew members reported minor injuries sustained during firefighting efforts and were treated by the onboard medical team.

The extent of the damages and cause of the fire are currently under investigation. While at Fleet Forces Yokosuka, the cutter will undergo further inspection and potentially repairs.

“The rapid response and courageous efforts from the crewmembers aboard Waesche to quickly contain and extinguish the fire are a testament to the bravery and skill of this crew,” said Capt. Jason Ryan, Waesche’s commanding officer.

The cutter is under the tactical control of U.S. 7th Fleet as part of routine presence operations in support of the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.