Marine F/A-18 crashes near Rimrock Lake, pilot ejects

A fighter jet crashed into a mountain Saturday afternoon in Yakima County, Washington, sparking a wildfire, local officials said.

The crash occurred at about noon near Rimrock Lake. The pilot ejected and sustained minor injuries, the Yakima County Sheriff's Office said. The pilot was taken to a hospital.

The crash started a fire that forced the evacuation of campers while firefighters worked to contain the blaze.

The U.S. Marine Corps told CBS affiliate KIRO-TV that the jet was an F/A-18 Hornet assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. The aircraft experienced a non-fatal aviation mishap while conducting routine training about 55 miles southeast of Seattle, the statement said.

The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California.

The Naches Fire Department said helicopters and at least one engine from the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest crew were suppressing the fire. The size of the blaze was not immediately known.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.