A fully armed F-16 fighter plane has crashed at March Air Reserve Base outside Riverside, California, damaging a nearby warehouse. The pilot ejected safely.

Firefighters in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, have requested a hazardous material response team, because the plane was loaded with ordnance and external fuel tanks, according to KNBC-TV.

US F-16 fighter jet crashes into California warehouse during training mission, pilot escapes injury #USfighterJetCrashpic.twitter.com/tmMR4k6WJT — Carole (@mrscarter22) May 17, 2019

A piece of the plane’s canopy and a parachute were seen on the nearby runway after the pilot ejected, surviving the crash. No injuries were reported on the ground.

#BREAKING image from inside a warehouse near March Air Reserve Base where a fighter jet crashed this afternoon Courtesy: Jeff Schoffstall pic.twitter.com/OJa0WBRMnM — Rob McMillan (@abc7robmcmillan) May 16, 2019

Although footage from the scene clearly showed a large hole in the roof of a warehouse and debris resembling a jet inside, March ARB spokesman Major Perry Covington initially told KABC-TV that the plane crashed at the end of the runway while landing, and did not hit any buildings.

BREAKING: Here is a closer look at the hole in the building after the F-16 crashed. @foxlapic.twitter.com/iGYkxd7p72 — Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) May 16, 2019

The crash, which happened around 3:45 pm local time, started a fire that March ARB Deputy Fire Chief Timothy Holliday described as “not very big,” reported the Los Angeles Times.

Ejector seat and parachute. pic.twitter.com/yW2xI0DJbU — Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) May 16, 2019

Both northbound and southbound lanes of the nearby Interstate 215 have been blocked off by police out of an abundance of caution. The F-16 reportedly belongs to the 144th Fighter Wing, a California Air National Guard unit based in Fresno.

Update: Pilot has ejected safely on the runway at March ARB, rough area of the building the F-16 crashed into and its relation to March ARB. #OpportunityIC#Breakingpic.twitter.com/w0layRYbjZ — Bern Notice🔥 (@BDP473) May 16, 2019

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