4 dead, dozens injured after fire at Canadian military base, officials say

Four Canadian service members were killed and 39 people injured, including 19 critically, when a fast-moving fire overtook soldiers conducting live-fire combat training at a military base in Alberta, officials said Sunday.

Prime Minister Mark Carney described the incident as one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada’s military on domestic soil. He ordered flags lowered to half-staff on federal buildings nationwide and said he’d requested a detailed account and formal briefing on the incident at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Wainwright.

Maj. Gen. Wade Rutland said military officials knew about the grass fire for hours but believed it was sufficiently contained to allow training to continue before winds suddenly shifted, sending flames racing toward the soldiers.

“The fire was a kilometer away when the wind shifted. That is not normal for a fire to move a kilometer in 36 seconds,” he said at a news conference in Edmonton.

Rutland said a commander at the scene told him soldiers went from seeing no fire to having flames upon them in less than a minute.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Sunday that injured patients were transferred from the base to four hospitals across Alberta. She said some suffered severe burns and could face weeks or months of intensive treatment. 

After the incident happened on Saturday, a doctor at a hospital in the city of Edmonton, 120 miles northwest of the military base, told Canada’s national broadcaster that patients were being brought to hospitals across the city as health care facilities around the base became “completely overwhelmed” by the number of people needing care.

“This number of patients would overwhelm the city of Edmonton,” Dr. Warren Thirsk, an emergency department physician at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, told CBC News. “It is more patients than any of us want to count right now. It’s a disaster. It’s a one in every 15- to 25-year disaster.”

“I’m saddened to share that there have been both fatalities and injuries as a result of an incident on the base,” Defense Minister David McGuinty said.

The four who were killed have been identified as:

• Sergeant Morgan Wong, from the Loyal Edmonton Regiment based at Edmonton, Alberta, serving with 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry;
• Private Shaun Farrell, from 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry based at Edmonton, Alberta;
• Private Aidan Goulding, from 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry based at Edmonton, Alberta;
• Private Hayden Lykkemark, from 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry based at Edmonton, Alberta.

The incident occurred at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, located about 112 miles southeast of Edmonton.

Rutland said the cause of the initial grass fire is still under investigation, noting there were “multiple training activities happening throughout the training area at the time.”

He said the fire crossed “established fire guards” before it was contained with the help of local authorities. He also said reports of explosions were not believed to be the result of the fire reaching oil and gas infrastructure or from “any outside interference.” 

Firefighters faced a volatile situation. Large areas of the province were hit during the day by a windstorm with gusts up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) an hour. The wind toppled some trees and sent signs flying and garbage cans rolling down streets.

By 11 p.m., the Municipal District of Wainwright said on social media the fire was being held and that property and critical infrastructure were protected. There was no evacuation order for residents.

McGuinty said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were involved in the investigation and described the situation as “very, very active and delicate.”

“I cannot recall such an incident in my short time for sure as a minister, but I cannot recall an incident like this in recent memory,” McGuinty said.

The Canadian Armed Forces and federal, provincial and local authorities were coordinating the emergency response, he said. The nearby community of Wainwright was providing hospital and firefighting support.

“Our thoughts are with all the brave women and men affected,” Carney said earlier in a social media post.

Smith described the fire as “significant and tragic” and said it was affecting many military personnel.

Canadian Forces Base Wainwright is one of Canada’s busiest military training bases, where soldiers prepare for combat operations. It is home to the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre, which conducts realistic battlefield exercises, and the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre, which provides military training.

Carney said the federal government was working closely with Alberta officials and local authorities. He said he and Smith were in close contact, as were their ministers and officials. Smith thanked first responders and those providing care and support to those affected.

Canadian Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre said he had spoken with Carney and the defense minister to offer support to those affected by the fire.

“Pray for Wainwright, everyone,” Poilievre said in a social media post. He urged people in the area to follow emergency instructions and keep roads clear for first responders.

The fire came days before the province is set to vote on beginning a process that could lead to its seeking independence from Canada.