USS Oriskany fire
Smoke visible from the burning USS Oriskany in the Gulf of Tonkin, 26 October 1966 | |
| Date | 26 October 1966 |
|---|---|
| Time | About 7:28 a.m. local time |
| Location | Gulf of Tonkin |
| Casualties | |
| 44 dead & 3 aircraft destroyed | |
| 156 injured & 3 aircraft damaged | |
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The 1966 USS Oriskany fire was a major fire that broke out aboard the Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Oriskany on the morning of 26 October 1966. The fire broke out after a lit flare was locked in a flare locker. The fire killed 44 people, mostly air crew, and injured 156 more. It was the first of three major fires to befall American carriers during the Vietnam War.