Marine Corps to help families whose homes damaged in jet crash

Chelcey Adami / The Imperial Valley Press / AP

This photo shows the site of a military jet that crashed on a residential street in Imperial, Calif., setting two homes on fire Wednesday, June 4, 2014. Lance Cpl. Christopher Johns, a U.S. Marines spokesman, says the jet was a Harrier from Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz.

By Elliot Spagat and Matt Hamilton, Associated Press

Thursday, June 5, 2014 | 11:38 a.m.

IMPERIAL, Calif. — A Marine Corps official says the military is working on a plan to help three displaced families whose homes were damaged when one of its jets slammed into a neighborhood in the small Southern California desert city of Imperial.

Capt. Anton Semelroth said Thursday that the Marine Corps is working with city and Red Cross officials and wants to do what it can to make things "right." The accident Wednesday afternoon caused only scrapes and bruises to the ejected pilot and no injuries on the ground.

The jet exploded into flames upon impact, destroying two homes and heavily damaging a third.

The Marine Corps has launched an investigation and it could take months to determine whether human error, a mechanical failure or other reason caused the Harrier jet to crash.