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Grass fire, fuelled by 96 km/hour winds, kills 4 soldiers, injures 39 at Canada's Alberta army base during live-fire combat training
Prime Minister Mark Carney described the incident as one of the worst peacetime tragedies involving Canada's military on home soil.
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Four Canadian soldiers were killed and 39 people injured, including 19 in critical condition, after a fast-spreading grass fire engulfed troops conducting live-fire combat exercises at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta, officials said on Sunday local time.
Major General Wade Rutland, commander of the 1st Canadian Division, based in Edmonton, around 210 km west of the military base, said officials had been aware of the fire for several hours but believed it was under control and allowed training to continue. However, a sudden change in wind direction sent the flames towards the soldiers.
Prime Minister Mark Carney described the incident as one of the worst peacetime tragedies involving Canada's military on home soil.
Grass fire at Canadian military base
Winds reaching speeds of 96 kilometres per hour fuelled the blaze, which began around 4 pm MDT (3.30 am IST) on Saturday. Wind speeds had remained below 50 kilometres per hour before the fire broke out, Rutland told reporters at a news conference.
He described the sudden increase in wind speed and the rapid spread of the flames as an "uncommon, rapid" event, saying the fire advanced 1 km in just 30 to 60 seconds.
"I’ve certainly never seen anything like it," he said.
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When the fire started, 85 soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, were conducting "high-intensity" combat training with live ammunition, Rutland said. The base is located in a prairie region.
The soldiers were preparing for deployment to Latvia, where Canadian forces are currently conducting their largest overseas military operation.
Rutland said the incident was under investigation and declined to speculate on the cause of the grass fire. He said officials did not believe the region's extensive oil and gas infrastructure was linked to the incident and also ruled out "outside interference."
Investigators will examine whether strong winds pushed the fire towards the troops or whether flames spread through vegetation undetected before suddenly reaching them, Rutland said. The fire breached established firebreaks before municipal firefighters helped bring it under control.
The four soldiers killed were identified as Sergeant Morgan Wong, Private Shaun Farrell, Private Aidan Goulding and Private Hayden Lykkemark.
According to 2021 census data, CFB Wainwright had 1,310 military and civilian personnel stationed there. The base houses the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre, which conducts training exercises and combat simulations for the army.
Hospitals respond to mass casualties
Alberta health officials said patients were taken from Wainwright to four hospitals: the University of Alberta Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, and Red Deer Regional Hospital.
Officials said the "Code Orange" emergency declared at several hospitals on Saturday night to mobilise additional staff and beds for the casualties had been lifted. The emergency response involved 22 ground ambulances, six aeroplanes and two helicopters, with assistance from neighbouring Saskatchewan.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said all patients had been accounted for and no further patients were awaiting transport.
Wainwright mayor Bruce Pugh said the town's small hospital was not equipped to handle an incident with so many casualties, but praised local medical staff for their response.
With inputs from agencies
