In short
- Four Canadian military members died in a fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta on Saturday: Sgt Morgan Wong, Pte Shaun Farrell, Pte Aidan Goulding and Pte Hayden Lykkemark.
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said 39 injured people were being cared for in hospital, at least 19 of them in critical condition.
- The fire broke out at about 16:00 local time (22:00 GMT) on Saturday and is now contained.
- Major-General Wade Rutland said uncommonly strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly and shift direction towards the range administrative area.
- Canadian Forces Base Wainwright sits about 210km (130 miles) east of Edmonton and holds roughly 690 military personnel and 300 civilian workers on a typical day.
Four Canadian military members died and 39 people were taken to hospital after a grass fire spread into a live-fire training area at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta on Saturday afternoon. At least 19 of the injured were in critical condition, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said.
What happened at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright?
The fire broke out at about 16:00 local time (22:00 GMT) on Saturday at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, one of the country’s busiest military training bases. An earlier report on the fire at the Canada military base said several people had been killed and dozens injured as the blaze spread. A grass fire ignited about 1km (0.6 miles) away, with the cause under investigation, and moved towards an attack range. The blaze is now contained and fire and rescue teams are staying at the scene to deal with possible flare-ups, Wainwright Mayor Bruce Pugh told the BBC. Major-General Wade Rutland told reporters: “Uncommonly strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly and shift direction towards the range administrative area.”
Who were the four military members who died?
The four who died were Sgt Morgan Wong, Pte Shaun Farrell, Pte Aidan Goulding and Pte Hayden Lykkemark. Addressing the nation from Ottawa on Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney called the fire “one of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime” and said: “The nation is in mourning for those brave members of our armed forces who we have lost.”
How many people were injured?
Casualties were on the attack range and included reservists and soldiers from the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, officials said. The Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, where patients were transferred, declared a code orange — a disaster-response protocol for a high-casualty incident — which has since been stood down. The provincial health agency said it deployed 30 units into Wainwright, including 22 ground ambulances, six fixed-wing and two rotary-wing aircraft, and that patients were being treated at facilities across the province. The regional air ambulance service STARS sent aircraft and crews from Edmonton, Saskatoon and Calgary.
What were soldiers doing when the fire started?
Members of the infantry had been conducting “high-intensity combat training with live munitions” at a grenade range and an attack range, where 10 soldiers practise attacking a simulated enemy, Major-General Wade Rutland told reporters. “There was a multitude of ordnance moving through the Wainwright training area,” he said, including a grenade launcher, grenades, small arms and ammunition.
Was the fire caused by terrorism or outside interference?
The Canadian Armed Forces said in a statement early on Sunday that “while the incident remains under investigation, at this time, there are no indications that it was the result of any terrorist activity”. Rutland said: “We do not believe this [incident] to be a result of any oil and gas infrastructure nor any outside interference”.
Where is Canadian Forces Base Wainwright?
Wainwright lies about 210km (130 miles) east of Edmonton, Alberta’s capital, and is one of the main bases the Canadian military uses for live-fire training exercises, housing troops from Canada and allied countries. About 690 military personnel and 300 civilian workers are on site on a typical day.
Frequently asked questions
How many people died in the fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright?
Four Canadian military members died: Sgt Morgan Wong, Pte Shaun Farrell, Pte Aidan Goulding and Pte Hayden Lykkemark. A further 39 injured people were being cared for in hospital, at least 19 of them in critical condition.
What caused the fire at CFB Wainwright?
A grass fire ignited about 1km (0.6 miles) from a training range and moved towards it. The cause is under investigation, and Major-General Wade Rutland said uncommonly strong winds made it spread rapidly and shift direction.
Was the Wainwright fire linked to terrorism?
The Canadian Armed Forces said there were no indications at this time that the incident was the result of terrorist activity. Major-General Wade Rutland said the military did not believe it resulted from oil and gas infrastructure or outside interference.
Where is Canadian Forces Base Wainwright?
It is about 210km (130 miles) east of Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, and is one of the main bases Canada uses for live-fire training. About 690 military personnel and 300 civilian workers are on site on a typical day.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)