A B-52 bomber crashed and burned Monday at Edwards Air Force Base, the sprawling high desert military facility that straddles Kern, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties.
It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured in the crash, which was reported at about 11:20 a.m. shortly after the massive four-engine plane, called a Stratofortress, took off, according to the U.S. Air Force.
“Emergency crews immediately responded to the scene and the situation is ongoing,” according to a dispatch issued just after noon Monday on the base’s X account.
The post promised more information as it became available.
Video from the location showed a large plume of smoke rising from the charred remains of the aircraft, which appeared to be completely destroyed.
At 12:48 p.m. Monday, base officials announced the airfield had been closed, with all inbound aircraft being diverted.
“All non-commercial visitor passes have been suspended until further notice to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations,” according to the update.
The last crash at the base was in 1992, when two crew members were killed.