Four Canadian Soldiers Killed, Dozens Hurt in Fast-Moving Base Fire

Four Canadian service members were killed and dozens injured Sunday after a rapidly advancing wildfire engulfed troops during live-fire training at a military base in Alberta, officials said.

The fire broke out Saturday at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright. Powerful winds suddenly shifted, driving the flames toward soldiers training nearby, according to The Associated Press.

Thirty-nine people were hospitalized, including 19 who remained in critical condition. Eight patients were listed as stable, while 12 others were treated for less serious injuries.

Maj. Gen. Wade Rutland, commander of the Edmonton-based 1st Canadian Division, said officials had known about the fire for several hours but believed it was sufficiently contained to allow training to continue, the AP reported.

“The fire was a kilometer away when the wind shifted. That is not normal for a fire to move a kilometer in 36 seconds,” Rutland said.

Investigators have not yet established what caused the fire.

The military identified those killed as Sgt. Morgan Wong and Privates Shaun Farrell, Aidan Goulding and Hayden Lykkemark, the AP reported.

Wong served with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment. Farrell, Goulding and Lykkemark were members of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. All four were serving with the Edmonton-based battalion.

Prime Minister Mark Carney described the blaze as one of the worst peacetime tragedies to affect Canada’s armed forces on home soil, according to Reuters.

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“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,” Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty told reporters.

The injured were treated at hospitals in Wainwright, Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary.

Air ambulances from Edmonton and Saskatoon were dispatched to the base Saturday to assist with patient transfers.

Several Alberta hospitals activated “Code Orange,” an emergency designation for mass-casualty events, as medical teams prepared to receive the wounded.

Military and civilian firefighters worked through the night to contain the blaze as strong winds continued to intensify the flames.

The fire moved beyond the base perimeter into surrounding areas, but officials said no evacuation orders were issued. By Sunday, local authorities said it was not expected to expand beyond the boundaries already affected.

Carney ordered flags on federal buildings across the country to be lowered to half-staff in memory of those killed and injured.

He also commended the emergency crews who fought the fire throughout the night.