An F-35 fighter jet crashed Wednesday near Naval Air Station Lemoore in central California. The pilot safely ejected, and no one on the ground was hurt, according to the base.

The jet, an F-35C variant, went down around 6:30 p.m.

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said its deputies and other responders found the burning wreckage of the jet and the ejected pilot in a cotton field north of the naval station. A helicopter airlifted the pilot to a hospital to be examined, and the sheriff’s office said he was expected to be OK.

Firefighters used a bulldozer to clear the way for a fire truck to reach the wreckage and put out the fire, the sheriff’s office said. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.