A sudden burst of fire at a Marine Corps air station has injured two Marines who were performing routine aircraft maintenance, authorities say.
The Marine Corps says the fire erupted after 10 p.m. Sunday at Air Station Miramar in the San Diego area.
The Marines were being treated for severe burns at the regional burn center at UC San Diego Health.
"Technically, this was a 'ground flash fire' rather than an 'explosion,'" Major Kurt Stahl, a MCAS Miramar spokesman, told NBC San Diego. "The cause is under investigation."
The Marines were identified as members of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112 (VMDA-112), from a reserve unit based in Fort Worth.
The National Fire Protection Association defines a ground flash fire as one involving fuel in the air and an ignition source. The fires tend to last just seconds but can reach intensely high temperatures.
