California fighter crashes near Mt Rainier sparking wildfire

This is the shocking moment a San Diego-based military plane crashed into a mountain near Mount Rainier – sparking a wildfire.

The plane, an F/A-18 Hornet, was heard making a loud “pop sound” before crashing into Rimrock Lake in Washington state on Saturday.

The incident, which occurred in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, prompted road closures, evacuations and a large fire response.

According to officials at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California, the pilot ejected safely before the crash, and no injuries were reported.

Tina Liniger, an eyewitness to the crash, told CBS 8: “Several planes had just crashed over the lake.

“We thought it was the sound of the wind coming from the plane. When we went down to the lake, we saw smoke.”

Marissa Fernandez was watching a flight with her family when she saw one of the planes begin to emit smoke while in flight.

“Suddenly, the plane started smoking, went down and hit the trees!

As of Saturday evening, the fire has grown to 1.5 acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. No content rating has been released.

The fire is burning near Forest Road 1241 and is being attended by helicopters and crews from the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Officials closed the southbound lanes of Rimrock Lake near Forest Road 1200 for the safety of the public.

A spokesman for the fire brigade said that workers will remain at the scene in the afternoon and are expected to return on Sunday morning to help with efforts to correct the situation.

The Yakima County Sheriff’s Office said military authorities have been notified and are deploying personnel and resources to the area. Officials said more information will be released as it becomes available.

Rimrock Lake, a 2,546-acre reservoir, is located on Highway 12 about 10 miles east of White Pass in Washington.

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