Canadaupdated 18m ago3 min read
Fifth Canadian Soldier Dies After Grass Fire at CFB Wainwright
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Fifth soldier, Pvt. William Douglas Dal Bianco, died in Ontario hospital from Wainwright fire injuries. Grass fire swept through drill area at CFB Wainwright on Oct. 17.
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Fifth death after Wainwright fire
A fifth Canadian soldier died from injuries suffered when a grass fire swept through a military training area at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta on 17 October, the Canadian Armed Forces said. Pte William Douglas Dal Bianco died on Friday in Ontario, where he had been receiving medical care after the wind-driven fire spread rapidly during live fire training conducted by members of 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group. The Canadian Armed Forces said 24 military personnel were still in hospital receiving treatment and 14 had been released as of Saturday, and it said 38 military personnel had been injured in total.
Military officials said at the time that the fire spread across a kilometre in a matter of seconds, taking many on the base by surprise, and they said an investigation found the fire was likely sparked by a grenade launcher being fired on the base's grenade range. Gen Jennie Carignan said the armed forces were "heartbroken" by the loss of Dal Bianco, as Defence Minister David McGuinty offered his "deepest condolences" to the soldier's family, friends and colleagues.
Names, investigations, and statements
The Canadian Armed Forces said the Oct. 17 fire involved live-fire training by about 84 soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, when winds pushed flames from a grass fire toward the troops.
NBC News identified the other soldiers killed as Pvt Shaun Farrell, 23, of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan; Pvt Aidan Goulding, 23, of North Vancouver, British Columbia; Pvt Hayden Lykkemark, 19, of Langley, British Columbia; and Sgt Morgan Wong, 26, of Edmonton.
Military police are investigating the fire, while a separate military board of inquiry will examine the circumstances of the tragedy and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents, the Canadian Armed Forces said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a social media post, "Private Dal Bianco and his fellow soldiers were training to defend Canada," and he added, "With their bright futures still before them, they chose to safeguard ours."
Carney also called the fire one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada’s military on Canadian soil, as the BBC said the fire was likely sparked by a grenade launcher being fired on the base's grenade range.
What comes next for families
The Canadian Armed Forces said Dal Bianco had been receiving medical care in Ontario after the Oct. 17 fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta, and it said 24 soldiers remained hospitalized as of Saturday.
The Globe and Mail reported that the death toll from the Oct. 17 fire at CFB Wainwright had risen to five, up from four deaths reported in the immediate aftermath, and it said 24 of the 38 injured soldiers remained in hospital.
The Globe and Mail said there were multiple investigations under way into the fire, including by Alberta’s chief medical examiner and the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, a military police unit.
The Globe and Mail also said the military promised a board of inquiry to examine the circumstances of the fire and adequacy of safety protocols, but the board had not yet been convened.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canadians were holding all those grieving in the wake of last month’s tragedy in their hearts, and Defence Minister David McGuinty said, "No words can ease the pain of losing a loved one" as the country mourned the Wainwright victims.