A fire that spread rapidly during a military training exercise at a Canadian army base has killed four service members and left at least 19 others in critical condition, with dozens requiring hospital treatment for serious injuries, including burns. A witness described the aftermath as “like a scene from a war movie” while speaking to the BBC.The blaze broke out on Saturday afternoon at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta, where troops were taking part in training exercises. Unusually strong winds caused the grass fire to spread quickly and change direction, eventually reaching the administrative area of a training range where soldiers were present.Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said 39 patients had been admitted to hospitals across the province, with at least 19 in critical condition. Some patients suffered severe burns and could require weeks or months of intensive treatment. Prime Minister Mark Carney described the incident as one of the worst peacetime tragedies on Canadian military soil.
‘Screaming that will never leave my mind’
Brandon Simmons, a resident receiving long-term care at Wainwright Health Centre, witnessed the emergency response as injured personnel were brought to the facility.Speaking to Reuters, Simmons said the hospital declared a Code Orange, triggering an emergency response to accommodate a large influx of casualties. Nurses abandoned their routine duties to collect stretchers, gurneys and medical equipment before rushing to the entrance.Military vehicles began unloading injured people as medical staff worked to stabilise patients and calm them down. Simmons recalled seeing people with burns, including one person whose clothes had been “blown off” and who was left wearing only underwear.“I heard people screaming inside of those vehicles that will never end up being out of my mind,” he said, describing the scene as “like a scene from a war movie”.Ambulances continued arriving throughout the night, with between 12 and 20 parked along the road at a time, he added.The emergency response involved 22 ground ambulances and eight aircraft, including six aeroplanes and two helicopters. Patients were transferred to four hospitals in Alberta, including facilities in Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary. Medical reinforcements also arrived in Wainwright, with military personnel parachuting into the town shortly before midnight.
Strong winds caused fire to change direction
Major-General Wade Rutland, commander of 1st Canadian Division, said the fire began in the training area at around 4pm local time on Saturday while multiple training activities were under way.“Uncommonly strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly and shift direction towards the range administrative area,” Rutland said.He explained that soldiers were operating at a section attack range and a separate grenade range when the fire was about a kilometre away. The blaze was not expected to reach the range but subsequently spread into its administrative area. The injured personnel had been at the section attack range, rather than the grenade range.Rutland described the incident as “very uncommon”, adding that an investigation was under way to establish what happened and whether it could have been prevented.The Canadian Armed Forces said there were no indications that the fire was linked to terrorism, although its cause remains under investigation. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are also involved in the probe.The four personnel killed were identified as Sergeant Morgan Wong, Private Shaun Farrell, Private Aidan Goulding and Private Hayden Lykkemark. All were serving with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, with Wong also belonging to the Loyal Edmonton Regiment.The troops had travelled from different bases across Canada to train at Wainwright, one of the country’s major military training facilities. Carney said flags on federal buildings would be flown at half-mast in honour of those killed and injured.
