Fighter jet crashes in Washington, pilot survives as wildfire spreads

A Marine F/A-18 Hornet crashed into a mountain near Rimrock Lake in Yakima County and immediately turned a military mishap into a wildfire response. The pilot ejected before impact, survived with minor injuries and was taken to a hospital, while flames spread across the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.

The aircraft was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11 of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and was based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. Military officials said the jet had been conducting routine training when it went down around noon on Saturday, June 13, 2026, and the cause remains under investigation. Authorities said the probe could take months to fully examine.

By late afternoon, firefighters had identified the blaze as the Pine Tree Fire and estimated it at 2 acres at 5:04 p.m. Response crews came in by helicopter and at least one engine from the U.S. Forest Service’s Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The Yakima County Sheriff’s Office said the pilot had minor injuries after ejecting, and a mountain pass deputy made contact with the survivor.

The crash site sat near a popular stretch of public land about 125 miles southeast of Seattle. Rimrock Lake is a 2,546-acre reservoir along Highway 12, about 10 miles east of White Pass, an area known for campsites, hiking, backpacking and a Pacific Crest Trail crossing. As flames grew, officials closed the south side of Rimrock Lake and evacuated campers.

Naches Fire Department said structure protection was completed near the Bear Creek cabins, a sign that crews were working to keep the fire from threatening nearby property even as the response remained active. A water tender stayed on scene and was expected to return the next morning for mop-up operations.

The incident left two urgent public-safety questions hanging over the recovery: how the jet crashed during routine training and how quickly the wildfire spread after the impact. With military investigators now joining local and federal crews, officials will be pressed to explain the chain of events that sent a fighter jet into the mountains and ignited a wildfire in a heavily used recreation corridor.