Four people have been killed and 39 hospitalised after a deadly fire at a Canadian military base.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said on Sunday that at least 19 of those in hospital are in critical condition.

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.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier confirmed that four service members were killed in the fire, which broke out Saturday during military training.

Carney described it as one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada’s military on domestic soil, and said that the families of those killed had been notified and that the situation was still evolving.

Fire crews scrambled late into the night as fierce winds whipped flames beyond Canadian Forces Base Wainwright and into the surrounding rural area.

Maj. Gen. Wade Rutland said military officials knew about the fire for hours but believed it was sufficiently contained to allow training to continue before winds suddenly shifted, sending flames racing toward the soldiers.

“The fire was a kilometre away when the wind shifted. That is not normal for a fire to move a kilometre in 36 seconds,” he said at a news conference in Edmonton.

Emergency crews and military personnel are seen at the Wainwright Health Centre. Credit: AP

A doctor at a hospital in the city of Edmonton, 120 miles northwest, told Canada’s national broadcaster that patients were being brought to hospitals across the city as health-care 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.”

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

Defence 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.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said officers were called shortly after 4pm 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 62 miles an hour. The wind toppled some trees and sent signs flying and garbage cans rolling down streets.

By 11 pm, 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.

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

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“Our thoughts are with all the brave women and men affected,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier in a social media post.

CFB Wainwright is one of Canada’s busiest military training bases, where soldiers prepare for combat operations. It is home to the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre, 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 defence 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 two polling locations, in Lloydminster and Vermilion, closed early Saturday and the ballots were transported securely.

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