WASHINGTON (CNN) -- One sailor was treated for first-degree burns and 23 others for heat stress after a fire on a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier burned for hours, the Navy said Friday.
The U.S. Navy described a fire as "serious" aboard the USS George Washington, pictured in Norfolk, Virginia.
There were no fatalities on the ship.
Thursday's fire on the USS George Washington in the Pacific Ocean off South America was classified as "serious," Navy spokesman Cmdr. Jeff Davis said.
Smoke initially was detected in air-conditioning and refrigeration spaces before spreading to other areas, causing "extreme heat" in the ship, according to Davis.
He said it took several hours to contain and then extinguish the blaze.
The ship's nuclear propulsion system was not damaged, and the George Washington is continuing toward a scheduled port call in San Diego, California.
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