A major fire at a Canadian military base has killed four service members and left 19 people in critical condition. The blaze broke out on Saturday at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta. Another 20 people were taken to hospital for treatment.
Prime Minister Mark Carney called the incident one of the most serious peacetime tragedies in Canada’s military history. Investigations are continuing to establish how the fire began and what caused it to spread so quickly.
How did the fire begin?
The fire started at about 16:00 local time on Saturday, according to military officials. Major-General Wade Rutland, commander of the 1st Canadian Division, said flames first appeared in grass on a military training range.
Strong winds then pushed the fire across the area and changed its direction, putting soldiers involved in training exercises at risk. Rutland said investigators were still working to determine what caused the initial blaze.
Some local media reports suggested that a damaged gas main during a live-fire exercise may have been involved. However, the military said there was no evidence that explosions had been caused by oil or gas infrastructure.
Carney described the fire as fast-moving and extremely dangerous. Firefighters from military and civilian services worked through the night in difficult conditions to control the flames and protect people in the area.
Canada’s defence ministry said there was currently no evidence linking the incident to terrorism.
How many people have died?
Four military personnel have been confirmed dead. They were identified as Sergeant Morgan Wong, Private Shaun Farrell, Private Aidan Goulding and Private Hayden Lykkemark.
A total of 39 people were hospitalised, including 19 who remained in critical condition. Officials have not confirmed whether the death toll could increase. Many injured people suffered severe burns and are expected to require extensive medical care.
Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton activated its code orange emergency procedure on Saturday evening to manage the sudden arrival of large numbers of casualties. The alert ended on Sunday afternoon. Alberta’s health service said the emergency response lasted around 10 hours and involved 22 ambulances and eight aircraft.
Where is the military base?
Canadian Forces Base Wainwright lies in rural Alberta, about 193 kilometres from Edmonton and 290 kilometres from Calgary.
The facility is a major training centre for the Canadian Army and also has an airfield used by the Royal Canadian Air Force. Its population varies, but more than 1,000 people may be stationed there at any given time.
