The explosion mysteriously occurred around 10 p.m. on Sunday night, the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar announced. “Both Marines are currently being treated for severe burns at the US-San Diego Regional Burn Center,” the release said. “Our thoughts and prayer are with them.”
The Marines serve with the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112, which is based out of Fort Worth, Texas.
The Public Affairs team originally stated the incident was an explosion. That statement was “deleted and replaced to reflect the proper term,” MCAS Miramar tweeted Monday morning, an effort that was perhaps motivated by a desire to mitigate bad publicity.
The service is investigating the circumstances leading up to the fire.