Royal Canadian Navy officials are assessing damage after a fire broke out on one of its supply ships in the mid-Pacific Ocean last night.
HMCS Protecteur was returning to CFB Esquimalt after operational duties when a fire broke out in the engine room around 10:20 p.m.
Sailors onboard battled the blaze and some sustained minor injuries. The ship is currently floating about 630 kilometres northeast of Oahu and will likely need to be towed back to Pearl Harbour, naval officials confirmed.
This is the second recent incident involving Protecteur. Last August, the supply ship collided with HMCS Algonquin during a training exercise en route to Hawaii. Both of the vessels are slated for retirement in 2015.
A Transport Canada investigation into an April 2013 collision between a fishing vessel and the HMCS Winnipeg is ongoing as well.
Protecteur is carrying 279 crew, 17 family members and two civilian contractors.