A military fighter jet crashed Saturday afternoon near Rimrock Lake in Yakima County, sparking a wildfire.
The Yakima County Sheriff’s Office said the crash was reported about 12:45pm. A deputy was able to make contact with the pilot who sustained minor injuries and was transported to the hospital. The Marine Corps confirmed the crash happened during a routine training mission.
KING5 News reported officials with the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, CA, confirmed that one of its F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets experienced a “nonfatal mishap” around 12 p.m. while training near Rimrock Lake. The cause of the accident is under investigation, military officials said. Witnesses reported hearing “popping sounds” just before the crash.
U.S. Forest Service firefighters responded with at least one engine and with assistance of two helicopters
The 1200 Rd system on the south side of Rimrock was closed, and campers were evacuated. The Naches Fire Department did structure protection near the Bear Creek cabins, and a tender remained on scene overnight to support mop-up operations of the fire.
The fire was dubbed the Pine Tree Fire and was about two acres in size near Forest Road 1241 as of Saturday evening, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
The 2,500-acre Rimrock Lake reservoir sits along Highway 12 about 10 miles east of White Pass within the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.