The Charles-de-Gaulle caught fire during maintenance work at the naval base in Toulon

A fire broke out Monday aboard the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle, which was undergoing maintenance at the naval base in Toulon. The fire started in a technical room measuring less than 10 square meters, near the aircraft hangar, during autogenous cutting work. No aircraft were in the hangar at the time of the incident.

The alarm was triggered shortly before 11:30 a.m. local time. Sailors aboard the ship responded immediately and were later assisted by the naval firefighters from the Toulon naval base. The fire was brought under control at 12:35 p.m. and declared extinguished at 1:50 p.m.

The Maritime Prefecture for the Mediterranean announced that no one was injured and that no impact on the ship’s nuclear installations had been identified. Initial information indicates that the autogenous cutting work may have caused the fire, but the investigation is ongoing.

Teams from the Marseille Naval Firefighters Battalion are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. The Charles-de-Gaulle is undergoing repairs from the end of August until early December. France and the United States are the only countries operating nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.