F/A-18 crash near Rimrock Lake sparks wildfire in Yakima County

A Marine F/A-18 Hornet crashed near Rimrock Lake, but the danger did not end with the pilot’s escape. The impact sparked a wildfire on the south side of the lake in Yakima County, forcing campers out, closing roads and drawing a multi-agency response to keep the flames from spreading deeper into the forest and recreation area.

Officials said the aircraft was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, part of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California. The crash happened around noon on Saturday, June 13, 2026, during routine training. Marine officials described it as a “nonfatal mishap,” underscoring that the pilot survived even as the aircraft went down in wooded terrain near Mt. Rainier.

The pilot ejected safely before the crash and was found by a Yakima County Sheriff’s Department mountain pass deputy. The pilot was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. That rapid rescue prevented the accident from becoming a fatal crash scene, but the fire that followed quickly turned the incident into a wider emergency.

By 5:30 p.m., the wildfire had grown to about 1.5 acres, according to officials. Crews from the Naches Fire Department, the U.S. Forest Service and the Washington Department of Natural Resources worked the blaze, with DNR providing air support. Firefighters also moved to evacuate campers and shut down the 1200 Road system on the south side of Rimrock Lake to keep the public clear of the area.

Bear Creek Cabins had been protected from the fire by around 4 p.m., a sign that crews were able to hold the line near occupied structures even as the response continued. A water tender was expected to remain at the fire through the afternoon and return Sunday morning for mop-up operations, as officials kept the area closed and urged people to stay away for the foreseeable future.

The crash created a compound risk for Yakima County: an aviation accident in remote timberland immediately became a wildfire response near cabins, campers and forest access roads. With the aircraft lost, the pilot injured and the fire still active, officials faced the dual task of securing the scene and preventing a small blaze from becoming a much larger forest emergency.