Fighter jet crashes east of Mount Rainier, sparking wildfire

A U.S. Marine Corps fighter jet crashed near Rimrock Lake on Saturday afternoon in Yakima County, according to the Naches Fire Department.

The F/A-18 Hornet pilot safely ejected before the crash and was taken to a hospital.

The wreckage sparked a wildfire on the south side of the lake.

The flames were suppressed by helicopters and at least one fire engine from U.S. Forest Service - Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, according to the Naches Fire Department.

Fire crews advised people to stay out of the area, southeast of Mount Rainier National Park. Campers were being evacuated.

The pilot was on a routine training flight and ran into trouble around noon on Saturday, according to a news release from the Marine Corps. The plane is part of Marine Aircraft Group 11, an aviation unit of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is based at Marine Corps Air Station near San Diego. The cause of the crash was under investigation Saturday.

A Marine Corps spokesperson, reached by phone, declined to comment further.

Our units have completed structure protection near the Bear Creek cabins and have just cleared the scene," the Naches Fire Department reported around 5 p.m. Saturday. "Our tender will remain on scene through the afternoon and will likely return (Sunday) morning to support mop up operations of the fire."

As of Saturday evening, the fire covered about 2 acres and was 30% contained.

In October 2024, two aviators based on Whidbey Island were killed when their Navy EA-18G Growler crashed on a routine training flight in the same general area east of Mount Rainier, near White Pass. The Growler jets are a modified version of the F-18, outfitted for radar jamming and electronic warfare.

The two crash sites are about 15 miles apart.

After the 2024 crash, the Navy lost three more Growlers based on Whidbey Island in two separate incidents. This appears to be the first military jet to go down in the Cascades since 2024. Both recent crashes were in the general area of a flight path often used for high-speed, low-altitude military training, known as the "Million Dollar Ride.

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