Four soldiers killed and 39 injured in CFB Wainwright training fire
A fast-moving fire during live-fire training at CFB Wainwright killed four Canadian soldiers and sent 39 others to hospital, straining emergency care across Alberta.
The Lead
The Canadian Armed Forces confirmed on October 18 that four soldiers were killed and 39 injured after a fire swept through a training area at CFB Wainwright, overwhelming nearby health facilities and sending patients to Edmonton hospitals.
Key Facts
- The fire began at about 4 p.m. MDT on October 17 during Exercise APOLLO SHOOTER, according to Canada’s Department of National Defence.
- Those killed were Sergeant Morgan Wong and Privates Shaun Farrell, Aidan Goulding and Hayden Lykkemark.
- Officials reported 39 injured service members, including 19 in critical condition. The cause remains under investigation.
Article Body
Members of 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group’s 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, were conducting live-fire training when the grass fire ignited. National Defence said high winds enabled it to spread rapidly and overtake the unit’s administrative area.
Major-General Wade Rutland, commander of 1st Canadian Division, said the fire was about one kilometre away before winds shifted and drove it across that distance within roughly 30 to 60 seconds. He said officials had found no indication that oil and gas infrastructure or outside interference caused the incident. The military has not established an explosion as the initiating cause, despite early reports describing one.
Dr. Warren Thirsk, an emergency physician at Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra Hospital, told CBC News that health facilities around Wainwright were “completely overwhelmed,” with patients transferred to hospitals across Edmonton. Provincial and military emergency services mobilized ambulances, air transport and additional medical personnel.
The investigation must now determine what ignited the fire and whether weather monitoring, firebreaks and emergency procedures were adequate for the conditions during the exercise.
What to Watch
The military says the fire crossed established fire guards after an abrupt wind shift, focusing scrutiny on the training area’s fire controls and the risk assessment used before exercises continued.
Sources & Notes
- Four Canadian Armed Forces members killed during training in CFB Wainwright
- Fire at Canada military base kills 4, at least 39 hospitalized including 19 critical
- Major fire breaks out in Alberta after deadly incident at military base
- @Faytuks: A doctor tells CBC News that Wainwright’s health-care facilities have been “completely overwhelmed” by the number of patients "It is more patients than any of us want to count right now. It’s a disaster"