Fire breaks out on French carrier Charles de Gaulle at Toulon base
In short
A fire broke out on Monday aboard the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle while it was undergoing maintenance at the naval base in Toulon, according to Le Figaro and the Mediterranean maritime prefecture as cited by Russian outlets. The blaze started in a technical room next to the aviation hangar, and the suspected cause was metal-cutting work with a gas torch; the crew and base firefighters extinguished it, and the maritime prefecture said there were no casualties and no impact on the ship’s nuclear installations. Interfax said the fire was put out in about an hour and a quarter, while Kommersant put it at almost two and a half hours; an investigation is under way.
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A fire broke out on board the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle on Monday while the ship was at the Toulon naval base for maintenance, Russian outlets reported, citing Le Figaro and the Mediterranean maritime prefecture. The blaze started in a technical compartment next to the aviation hangar, according to Interfax, Vedomosti and Kommersant, all citing Le Figaro; Vedomosti said the compartment was no more than 10 square metres in area. The maritime prefecture said the suspected cause was metal-cutting work with a gas torch, while Kommersant described the possible cause as welding work. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
The fire alarm sounded shortly before 11:30, Kommersant reported. The crew began fighting the fire immediately and was joined by firefighters from the Toulon base, Interfax and Vedomosti said. Interfax, citing Le Figaro, said the fire was contained and then fully extinguished in about an hour and a quarter, while Kommersant said it took almost two and a half hours to put out completely. [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]
The maritime prefecture said there were no casualties and no impact on the ship’s nuclear installations, and that an investigation is under way, according to Interfax and Kommersant. Interfax noted that no aircraft were in the hangar because the ship is at its home port for technical servicing. [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]
The Charles de Gaulle has been in port since late August and is due to remain there until early December, Interfax, Vedomosti and Kommersant reported. Kommersant described it as the French Navy’s only active aircraft carrier and its first nuclear-powered surface combat ship, and said it will be replaced in 2038 by a new carrier, La France libre. [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]
Le Figaro noted, in Interfax’s account, that until this summer the carrier had been deployed in the eastern Mediterranean to counter the risk of the Middle East conflict widening. Vedomosti recalled that in April a US Navy carrier, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), caught fire during repair work at a shipyard, injuring three sailors who later returned to duty. [ 1 , 5 ]
Why it matters
The documents describe an accident during scheduled maintenance on France’s only aircraft carrier, with no reported casualties and no damage to its nuclear installations, so the immediate consequences appear limited. The ship is due to stay in port until early December, according to the documents, and the incident is under investigation. The reporting does not indicate any effect on operations beyond the maintenance period already under way.
Key facts
- A fire broke out on Monday aboard the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle while it was at the Toulon naval base for maintenance. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- The blaze began in a technical room next to the aviation hangar, according to Le Figaro and the Mediterranean maritime prefecture; Vedomosti said the room was no more than 10 square metres. [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]
- The suspected cause was metal-cutting work with a gas torch, per the maritime prefecture; Kommersant described the possible cause as welding work. [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- The crew began fighting the fire immediately and was joined by firefighters from the Toulon base. [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]
- The maritime prefecture said there were no casualties and no impact on the ship’s nuclear installations, and an investigation is under way. [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]
- The ship has been in its home port since late August and is due to remain there until early December. [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]
- No aircraft were in the hangar at the time of the fire. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- A fire occurred aboard the Charles de Gaulle at the Toulon naval base while the ship was undergoing maintenance. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- The fire started in a technical room next to the aviation hangar. [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]
- Metal-cutting work with a gas torch is the suspected cause, according to the maritime prefecture; TASS also cited a gas cutter. [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- The crew began firefighting immediately and was joined by firefighters from the Toulon naval base. [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]
- The maritime prefecture said there were no casualties. [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]
- The maritime prefecture said the ship’s nuclear installations were not affected. [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]
- An investigation into the incident is under way. [ 1 , 6 ]
- The carrier has been in port for maintenance since late August and is due to stay until early December. [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]
Still unclear
- How long it took to extinguish the fire. Interfax, citing Le Figaro, said the fire was contained and then fully extinguished in about an hour and a quarter, while Kommersant said full extinguishing took almost two and a half hours.
- Whether the fire has been fully extinguished or only contained. Interfax said it was fully extinguished, while RBC, Vedomosti and Kommersant describe it as localised or do not state that it was out.
- The exact cause of the fire. The gas-torch cutting is described as a suspected and preliminary cause, and the documents say an investigation is continuing. Single-outlet details include Kommersant’s description of welding work and its statement that the alarm sounded shortly before 11:30.
- The time reference for the alarm. Only Kommersant gives the alarm time of shortly before 11:30 and it does not specify a time zone, while the outlets’ publication times are given in their own local time.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The fire alarm sounded shortly before this time, according to Kommersant. [ 6 ]
- Interfax publishes its report, citing Le Figaro and the Mediterranean maritime prefecture. [ 1 ]
- Vedomosti reports the fire was localised, there were no casualties and the nuclear installations were undamaged, and notes the April fire aboard the US carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower. [ 5 ]
- Kommersant reports the alarm time, a response lasting almost two and a half hours, and background on the ship’s replacement in 2038. [ 6 ]