Four Soldiers Killed, 39 Injured as Fast-Moving Grass Fire Engulfs Canadian Military Base
A smoldering grass fire driven by 60-mph winds swept through a training area at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta on Saturday, killing four soldiers and injuring 39 in what Prime Minister Mark Carney called one of Canada's worst peacetime military tragedies.
Four Canadian soldiers are dead and 39 people are in hospitals, 19 of them in critical condition, after a fast-moving grass fire swept through a training area at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta on Saturday, officials said Sunday.
The fire began around 4 p.m. MDT (2200 GMT) in an area where personnel were conducting drills, according to Reuters. What started as smoldering grass was whipped into a wall of flames by winds reaching 60 mph (96 km/h); the blaze advanced about one kilometer in 30 to 60 seconds, officials said.
The military identified the four dead as Sgt. Morgan Wong, Pte. Shaun Farrell, Pte. Aidan Goulding and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark. Wong, a reservist with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, had been training with the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry; Farrell, Goulding and Lykkemark served in that battalion, according to Reuters. All four families have been notified.
Troops were preparing to deploy to Latvia
About 85 soldiers from the 3rd Battalion were in “high intensity” combat training using live munitions when the fire overran their area, according to Reuters. The soldiers were preparing for deployment to Latvia, where Canada has its largest overseas military operation. Investigators have not determined what first ignited the grass fire.
Alberta hospitals issued a “code orange” disaster alert as trauma teams received the injured, and Premier Danielle Smith said many of those hurt will require “weeks and months” of specialized, intensive medical care, Reuters reported.
Carney orders flags lowered across Canada
Prime Minister Mark Carney called the fire one of the worst peacetime tragedies ever for Canada’s armed forces on home soil. “The nation is in mourning for those brave members of our Armed Forces whom we have lost,” Carney said Sunday, adding that he had ordered flags on federal buildings across the country lowered to half-staff.
Maj. Gen. Wade Rutland, commander of the 1st Canadian Division, described the blaze as an “uncommon, rapid” event. “I’ve certainly never seen anything like it,” he said. The base houses the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre, and officials said the soldiers affected came from bases across the country. Defence Minister David McGuinty said he would travel to the city for briefings.
Reporting based on coverage by Reuters and USA Today.
