This post has been updated to include additional information about the Marines’ conditions and damage from the fire.
Two Marines are being treated for severe burns after an explosion occurred while conducting maintenance on an F/A-18 Hornet at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif.
A ground flash fire occurred at about 10:18 p.m. Sunday, while Marines from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112 (VMFA-112), a reserve unit out of Fort Worth, Texas, were performing routine maintenance on their jets.
The two injured Marines are being treated at the University of California-San Diego Regional Burn Center, and the incident is under investigation.
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing spokesman Maj. Kurt Stahl told USNI News that one Marine is in critical condition but that more information was not yet available. No other injuries occurred during the flash fire and no damage was done to the facilities, he said, but damage to the aircraft is still being assessed.
