Ontario sending 28 burn-care workers to help with soldiers critically injured in CFB Wainwright fire

Ontario is sending 28 health-care professionals to help care for the soldiers severely injured in a deadly fire at CFB Wainwright in Alberta last Saturday.

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Thirty-nine soldiers were injured in the fire, 19 critically.

Premier Doug Ford announced that the assistance will include surgeons and nurses with burn care expertise.

“As Alberta hospitals continue to respond to the devastating fire that took place at CFB Wainwright last week, Ontario’s heroic health-care workers are stepping up to help,” Ford said in an X post on Wednesday.

As Alberta hospitals continue to respond to the devastating fire that took place at CFB Wainwright last week, Ontario’s heroic health-care workers are stepping up to help.

Ontario is deploying 28 health-care staff, including surgeons and nurses with special expertise in burn…

— Doug Ford (@fordnation) October 21, 2026

“We’re also providing additional equipment to support their work as they care for those who were injured in last week’s fire,” added Ford, commenting that times of crisis are when Canadians come together, “(we) have each others’ backs. That’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said during a press conference on Wednesday that 12 patients have been discharged. However, there are still 27 in hospital and 13 are considered in critical condition.

“Some of the burns are 30 per cent to 80 per cent of their entire body — and sometimes changing those dressings can take up to two hours per patient,” Smith said.

Smith, noting three of the soldiers in “very dire health” are Ontarians, thanked Ford and welcomed the 19 burn-unit and five operating room nurses, additional resources she said will help ease pressures on Alberta health-care staff.

Toronto surgeon Dr. Alan Rogers is one of two surgeons on standby to go out to Alberta. He is a surgeon with the Ross Tilley Burn Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, as well as an associate professor of plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery at the University of Toronto.

He told the CBC that the soldier-patients are going through “one of the most painful experiences one can endure.” He said the number of patients would put an “incredible strain” on existing resources in any province.

The complex care for extensive burns can involve weeks, even months, in hospital, while going through multiple surgeries. Rehab is also a “long and arduous” process, he said.

Sunnybrook has been in contact with the burn teams in Edmonton and Calgary, Rogers said.

“When something like this happens (in large) numbers, it overwhelms the system and it does make it very challenging to manage because ordinarily we’re actually close to or near or even often over capacity in our burn centres.”

As previously reported by National Post, the Canadian Armed Forces said four people were killed in the CFB Wainwright fire. The soldiers killed were later identified as Sgt. Morgan Wong, Pte. Shaun Farrell, Pte. Aidan Goulding, and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark.

Premier Smith confirmed the four deaths in an X post earlier this week.

On the ground at the Provincial Emergency Coordination Centre this afternoon with Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Safety Mike Ellis, Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services Adriana LaGrange and federal Minister of National Defence David McGuinty and Acute Care… pic.twitter.com/yhDJvDIaM0

— Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) October 18, 2026

“Many more are injured and in recovery across our hospitals,” she wrote. “Every part of the response is being coordinated, from first responders through to the hospitals treating the injured and the critical care teams working right now. Alberta stands with our Canadian Armed Forces and will provide whatever support is requested.

Speaking on Sunday, Maj. Gen. L.W. Rutland explained that the soldiers were involved “high intensity combat training with live munitions.” The purpose of the exercises was to prepare them to be a global response task force that could be quickly deployed anywhere in the world. Soldiers were also getting ready to serve in Latvia in April and May in support of a brigade already in the Baltic country.

Some soldiers were throwing hand grenades on a hand grenade range, said Rutland. A group of ten soldiers were also conducting an attack exercise on a simulated enemy. The deadly “grass fire ignited in the training area,” said Rutland.

“Uncommonly strong winds cause the fire to spread rapidly and shift direction towards the range,” he said.

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