Fighter jet crashes near Rimrock Lake, sparks wildfire in Washington

A Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet crashed near Rimrock Lake in Yakima County after the pilot ejected safely, turning a routine training flight into a fast-moving wildfire response in steep forest country. The impact ignited the Pine Tree Fire, forced campers out of the area and closed the 1200 Road system south of Rimrock as crews moved to protect Bear Creek cabins.

The crash happened around noon on Saturday, June 13, 2026, southeast of Mount Rainier in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest area. The U.S. Marine Corps said the aircraft was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and was based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California. Officials described the incident as a non-fatal aviation mishap during routine training, and said the cause remained under investigation.

The pilot escaped before impact, sustained minor injuries and was taken to a hospital or local medical facility for evaluation. Witnesses reported hearing “popping sounds” before seeing smoke and the jet go down, a detail that underscored how quickly the accident shifted from an aviation emergency to a fire threat in dry, wooded terrain.

By 9 p.m. that night, the Pine Tree Fire had grown to about 2 acres. Helicopters and at least one engine from the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest responded, while local and federal crews worked to keep the blaze from spreading farther into the surrounding forest and recreational area. No civilian injuries or structural damage were immediately reported, and firefighters were able to hold the line around Bear Creek cabins.

The crash also highlighted the Marine Corps’ broader reliance on the aging Hornet fleet even as the service winds down the aircraft’s role. Marine Corps messaging in 2026 said that by fiscal year 2030, final Hornet unit deactivation would end remaining F/A-18 maintenance promotion opportunities, a reminder that safety, readiness and fleet transition remain tightly linked. In a remote part of Washington where military training intersects with dry timber, a single aircraft failure quickly became a dual public-safety event with consequences on the ground and in the air.