Sudden fire at a military base in Canada: four dead, 19 people in critical condition

Four servicemen were victims of the powerful fire that engulfed a military base in the Canadian province of Alberta on Saturday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Sunday. He called what happened one of the most difficult tragedies for the Canadian military. Another 39 people remain in hospitals, 19 of them in critical condition, writes the BBC.

According to authorities, the fire started with smoldering grass about a kilometer from the base. The fire rapidly spread across the training ground at the Canadian Armed Forces Base Wainwright, located approximately 210 kilometers east of Edmonton, the capital of Alberta province.

Exercises were underway at the time. According to Wade Rutland, commander of the 1st Division based in Edmonton, who spoke to reporters, the fire broke out due to strong winds, gusts of which reached 96 km/h. At the same time, before the ignition, the wind speed did not exceed 50 km/h.

General Rutland described the sudden gust of wind and the subsequent spread of fire as an "unusual, rapid" phenomenon — the flames covered a kilometer in just 30-60 seconds.

"I certainly have never seen anything like it," the general said.

Authorities named the deceased: Sergeant Morgan Wong, Private Shaun Farrell, Private Aidan Goulding, and Private Hayden Likemark.

Speaking to the nation on Sunday, the Prime Minister of Canada called what happened "one of the most difficult tragedies for the armed forces on Canadian territory in peacetime."

"The country mourns the brave servicemen of our armed forces whom we have lost," Carney said. He ordered state flags to be lowered at all federal buildings across the country in memory of the fallen.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said many of the injured would need "weeks or months" of specialized intensive medical care. According to her data, out of 39 injured people in the hospital, at least 19 are in critical condition.

According to Rutland, when the fire started, 85 soldiers of a light infantry battalion were undergoing "intensive" combat training with live ammunition at the base, located in the prairies.

The soldiers were preparing for deployment to Latvia, where Canada's largest foreign military mission is currently stationed.

"Various types of weapons were actively used at the Wainwright training center at that time," the general said, clarifying that this included grenade launchers, grenades, small arms, and ammunition.

Rutland stated that the investigation into the incident is ongoing and declined to speculate on the causes of the grass fire.

According to him, authorities do not believe that the region's extensive oil and gas infrastructure was involved in the incident. He also ruled out "external interference."

"I can say that at that moment, several training activities were being conducted simultaneously at the training ground," Rutland reported. "Due to unusually strong winds, the fire began to spread rapidly and changed direction towards the administrative zone of the training ground."

According to census data, as of 2021, Wainwright base had 1,310 military and civilian personnel. The base houses a troop training center and hosts land force exercises. Prime Minister Carney reported that those injured in Saturday's fire came from military bases across the country.

Military and civilian firefighters battled the blaze in "conditions harder to imagine," the Prime Minister said.

The town of Wainwright, with a population of about 6,600 people, is located north of the military base. Municipal authorities reported on social media that the fire had crossed the base fence into the adjacent territory, but no evacuation orders were issued. On Sunday, it was stated that no further spread of the fire beyond its current boundaries was expected.

The fire started on Saturday around 4:00 PM local time. The blaze is now localized.

Wainwright Mayor Bruce Pew told the BBC that rescuers remain at the scene to prevent a possible rekindling of the fire.

The Canadian Armed Forces said in a statement released on Sunday: "While the investigation into the incident is ongoing, there is currently no indication that what happened was the result of terrorist activity."

"We do not believe this [incident] is related to oil and gas infrastructure or any external interference," General Rutland said at a briefing.

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