Fire Reported on Yorktown

A morning fire aboard the historic USS Yorktown aircraft carrier did not impact the morning opening of the Mount Pleasant tourist attraction.

Firefighters used fire extinguishers to put out the fire, which was reported just before 1 a.m. in the ship's printing room, just below deck on the ship.

Patriots Point praised its “state-of-the-art” fire alarm system for alerting firefighters to the fire and for accurately pinpointing its location, according to a morning news release.

“The fire was in a print shop and completely contained there,” said Patriots Point Executive Director Mac Burdette in the news release.  “All the alarms worked perfectly, including sensors that indicate location.” 

No hoses were required and fire crews quickly put out the fire using an extinguisher aboard the vessel. Damage was confined to the one office compartment. No one was aboard the ship, with the exception of public safety employees, the news release states. 

As many as two firefighters were treated for heat related illness and possible smoke inhalation.

The USS Yorktown is structurally designed for containment of fires. This is the first fire aboard the USS Yorktown in over 25 years. 

The cause of the fire has not been determined and is under investigation by the Mount Pleasant Fire Department.