Four members of the Canadian military died and dozens were injured Saturday after a grass fire broke out at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta and spread rapidly due to uncommonly strong winds, officials said.
The fire ignited around 4 p.m. local time in a grassy training area about one kilometer away from an attack range where soldiers were conducting high-intensity combat training with live munitions, Major-General Wade Rutland told reporters. The fire moved toward the range's administrative area as wind shifted its direction.
The BBC confirmed the deaths of Sgt Morgan Wong, Pte Shaun Farrell, Pte Aidan Goulding and Pte Hayden Lykkemark. Of 39 people hospitalized, at least 19 were in critical condition, according to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.
The injured included reservists and soldiers from the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry who were on the attack range during the incident. Rutland said soldiers had been conducting training activities involving grenades, grenade launchers, small arms and ammunition.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the nation Sunday from Ottawa, calling the fire "one of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime." He said military and emergency crews fought the flames overnight in harsh conditions.
Wainwright, located about 210 kilometers east of Edmonton, is one of Canada's busiest military training bases. Roughly 690 military personnel and 300 civilian workers are typically on site. The fire is now contained, though fire and rescue teams remained at the scene to prevent flare-ups, Wainwright Mayor Bruce Pugh told the BBC.
The Canadian Armed Forces said preliminary findings showed no indication of terrorist activity or involvement from oil and gas infrastructure. The cause remained under investigation.
The incident overwhelmed local healthcare capacity. Provincial health officials deployed 30 units including 22 ground ambulances and air ambulance crews from Edmonton, Saskatoon and Calgary. Patients were transferred to hospitals across Alberta, with the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton initially declaring a code orange disaster-response protocol, later stood down.