Canadian military base fire kills at least four, injures dozens

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Sunday that 39 people were hospitalised, including at least 19 in critical condition, after a deadly fire at a Canadian military base.

Smith said patients were transferred from Canadian Forces Base Wainwright to four hospitals across Alberta. She said some suffered severe burns and could face weeks or months of intensive treatment.

Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier confirmed that four service members were killed in the fire, which broke out Saturday during military training, describing it as one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada’s military on domestic soil.

Fire crews scrambled late Saturday as fierce winds whipped flames beyond Canadian Forces Base Wainwright and into the surrounding rural area. The Canadian military said Sunday there were no indications that the incident was the result of terrorism, but the cause remained under investigation.

Speaking in a televised address, Carney said the families of those killed had been notified and that the situation was still evolving.

Carney said the service members killed and injured were participating in military training when the fire broke out Saturday.

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Flags would fly at half-staff on federal buildings across the country in honor of those affected by the tragedy, he said.

Carney said those affected included reservists and soldiers from Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, one of Canada’s most storied military regiments. The personnel had come from bases across the country to train at Wainwright.

It was not immediately clear exactly how many people had been injured. Alberta health officials said patients from Wainwright had been transferred to four hospitals — two in Edmonton, one in Red Deer and one in Calgary.

Cathy Keane, a mayoral candidate in Ontario, said her eldest son was among the military personnel critically injured. “As a mother, right now I need to be with my son and family,” she wrote on Facebook, saying she was traveling to Alberta.

A doctor at a hospital in the city of Edmonton, 180 kilometers (112 miles) northwest, told Canada’s national broadcaster that patients were taken to hospitals across the city as healthcare facilities around the base became “completely overwhelmed” by the number of people needing care.

“This number of patients would overwhelm the city of Edmonton,” Dr. Warren Thirsk, an emergency department physician at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, told CBC News. “It is more patients than any of us want to count right now. It’s a disaster. It’s a one in every 15- to 25-year disaster.”

Alberta health officials said Sunday they had ended the “Code Orange” emergency activated at several hospitals after the fire. The designation allows hospitals to mobilize staff and free up beds to handle large numbers of seriously injured patients.

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The province said the response involved 22 ground ambulances, six airplanes and two helicopters, with assistance from neighboring Saskatchewan.

Wainwright Mayor Bruce Pugh said the town’s small hospital was not designed to handle a mass-casualty incident but praised the response of local medical personnel. He said helicopters and planes had been transporting patients to other facilities for treatment.

Pugh said military medical personnel parachuted into Wainwright shortly before midnight, their red parachutes illuminated by flares, as reinforcements arrived to help respond to the disaster.

At least 10 ambulances were parked in and around the Wainwright health center late Saturday as paramedics and soldiers rushed about. One patient was seen being loaded into an ambulance.

The town of Wainwright, near the base, has about 7,000 residents.

Defense Minister David McGuinty said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were involved in investigating the incident and described the situation as “very, very active and delicate.” He said authorities were still working to determine what happened and expected to provide further information.

McGuinty said Sunday he was traveling to Edmonton to be briefed on the latest developments. He said the military was working closely with Alberta’s government and local authorities.

The Canadian Armed Forces had said it would not release casualty figures until relatives were notified. Carney said Sunday that the families of the four service members killed had been informed.

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The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said officers were called shortly after 4 p.m. Saturday following reports of a fire in a training area at the base.

Firefighters faced a volatile situation. Large areas of the province were hit during the day by a windstorm with gusts up to 100 kph (62 mph). The wind toppled some trees and sent signs flying and garbage cans rolling down streets. 

By 11 p.m., the Municipal District of Wainwright said on social media the fire was being held and that property and critical infrastructure were protected. There was no evacuation order for residents.

McGuinty, speaking to reporters in Ottawa, confirmed the casualties but had no other details to share.

“I cannot recall such an incident in my short time for sure as a minister, but I cannot recall an incident like this in recent memory,” McGuinty said.

“We will have more to say in the coming hours and days,” he added.

He said Armed Forces members were at the scene and that RCMP were also involved. “This is an active and delicate situation and soon to be an active and delicate investigation.”

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said his province was sending assistance to Alberta but did not specify what resources were being deployed.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith described the fire as “significant and tragic” and said it was affecting many military personnel.

She said Alberta had convened its emergency management cabinet committee to coordinate the response.

Carney praised emergency crews who battled the fire through the night and said STARS air ambulance helicopters had flown in from Edmonton and Saskatoon.

CFB Wainwright is one of Canada’s busiest military training bases, where soldiers prepare for combat operations. It is home to the Canadian Maneuver Training Center, which conducts realistic battlefield exercises, and the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre, which provides military training.

Canadian Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre said he had spoken with Carney and the defense minister to offer support to those affected by the fire.

“Pray for Wainwright, everyone,” Poilievre said in a social media post. He urged people in the area to follow emergency instructions and keep roads clear for first responders.

The fire also disrupted advance voting ahead of Monday’s referendum on whether Alberta should begin a process that could lead to independence from Canada. Elections Alberta said the advance polling location at Wainwright Communiplex closed early Saturday and ballots and election materials were transported securely. It identified polling locations in Lloydminster and Vermilion as alternatives.