Canadaupdated 1h ago2 min read
Explosion And Fire At Canadian Forces Base Wainwright Kills Four, Injures Dozens
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Four Canadian soldiers killed during live-fire training at Wainwright, Alberta base. Dozens injured; 39 hospitalised, 19 in critical condition as grass fire spread rapidly.
25 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Prime Minister Mark Carney Says Fire Kills Four at CFB Wainwright in Alberta →
Explosion, then violent fire
An explosion erupted at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta on Saturday afternoon, killing multiple people and injuring dozens more as authorities said the blast ignited a massive fire fanned by high winds. Prime Minister Mark Carney said at a news conference on Sunday that at least four service members were killed in the blast and subsequent "violent fire," and that "dozens more are seriously wounded."
Minister of National Defense David McGuinty told reporters during a news conference on Saturday night that "I cannot recall an incident like this in recent memory." The Canadian Department of National Defense said in a statement on Sunday, "There are no indications that it was the result of any terrorist activity," while military officials said the cause was under investigation and that the incident occurred during a live-fire training exercise.
Fire spread in seconds
Maj-Gen Wade Rutland said the fire was "1km (0.6 miles) away when the wind shifted" and that "It is not normal for a fire to move a kilometre in 30 to 60 seconds." BBC reporting confirmed that Sgt Morgan Wong, Pte Shaun Farrell, Pte Aidan Goulding and Pte Hayden Lykkemark died, and it said 39 injured people were receiving care in hospital, with at least 19 in critical condition.
Warren Thirsk, an emergency department doctor at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, told CBC that the number of patients involved "completely overwhelmed" healthcare facilities in Wainwright. The Canadian government said in a statement Sunday morning that "The fire spread rapidly beyond the boundaries of the training area" while military and civilian emergency services responded quickly.
Investigation and medical strain
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said in a social media post that the "significant and tragic" incident was affecting many military personnel, while the Canadian government said the fire was spreading rapidly beyond the training area and emergency services responded quickly. France 24 said four soldiers were killed and 39 people were injured, including 19 in critical condition, and it reported that 22 ground ambulances and eight air ambulances were involved in the response.
The Canadian Armed Forces said that "while the incident remains under investigation, at this time, there are no indications that it was the result of any terrorist activity," and Rutland said the investigation may take at least a month. Wainwright Mayor Bruce Pugh said the small city hospital was not designed to handle a mass-casualty incident, while he praised local medical staff as helicopters and planes transported patients to other facilities for treatment.