The Baltimore City Fire Department was called to the scene of a fire aboard the Charles L. Gillard, a U.S. military cargo ship docked in Baltimore Harbor, on July 13, 2026.
Firefighters arrived around 11:00 AM to find a significant blaze near the vessel's lifeboats. The department quickly issued a second alarm to ensure adequate resources were available to combat the fire.
Constructed in 1972 and acquired by the U.S. Navy in the 1980s, the Charles L. Gillard underwent extensive rebuilding in the 1990s. This 955-foot cargo ship is designed to transport military vehicles, equipment, and supplies, and has a deadweight tonnage of 55,450 when fully loaded.
In May 2023, the ship was removed from the Naval Vessel Register and transferred to the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) as part of the Ready Reserve Force. It has been docked in Baltimore since 2024, alongside another ship, the Gary I. Gordon.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries related to the fire, and the cause is currently under investigation by the fire department. It remains unclear if anyone was aboard the vessel at the time of the incident.
This event marks the second emergency situation involving vessels from the Ready Reserve Fleet in the Baltimore area in recent months. In December 2025, another ship, the Cornelius H. Charlton, broke free from its moorings during a windstorm but was secured by a fireboat and a commercial tug.
Reported by HarborBeat based on The Maritime Executive (source).
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