Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Sunday that four service members were killed and dozens were seriously injured in a fire during military training at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta. The fire began Saturday, and officials had not established its cause by Sunday.
Carney said the families of the four deceased personnel had been notified. He described the incident as among Canada’s worst peacetime military tragedies on domestic soil and said the situation remained in progress. Those affected included reservists and soldiers from Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, whose members had come from bases around the country for training at Wainwright.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said officers were dispatched shortly after 4 p.m. Saturday following reports of a fire in a training area. Strong winds, with gusts reported as high as 62 mph, helped drive the flames beyond the base and into nearby rural areas. By late Saturday, local officials said the fire was being contained and that property and critical infrastructure were protected. No evacuation order had been issued for residents nearby.
Military officials said they had no indications of terrorism. The RCMP was involved in the investigation, and Defense Minister David McGuinty characterized the circumstances as active and delicate. The exact number of injured personnel was not yet clear Sunday.
Hospitals in Wainwright, Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary were treating victims. Several Alberta hospitals activated a Code Orange, a designation used for mass-casualty incidents. Dr. Warren Thirsk, an emergency department physician at Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra Hospital, told CBC News that the number of patients would overwhelm the city’s capacity and called the situation a disaster.
McGuinty had earlier confirmed that there were deaths and injuries without giving a casualty total. He told reporters he could not recall a similar incident in recent memory during his time as a minister.
Carney said flags at federal buildings across Canada would be lowered to half-staff in honor of those killed and injured. He also praised emergency crews who fought the fire through the night. Authorities had not provided further details about the investigation or a final count of those hurt in the fire.
