Four people have been killed and dozens more seriously injured after a \u201cviolent, fast-moving\u201d fire tore through one of Canada\u2019s busiest military training bases in Alberta, the country\u2019s prime minister said on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Mark Carney called the incident \u201cone of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime\u201d.<\/p>\n
The fire and subsequent explosion moved quickly because of high winds. Alberta premier Danielle Smith said at a press conference on Sunday evening that 39 people were in hospital after the fire, with at least 19 of them in a critical condition.<\/p>\n
Maj Gen Wade Rutland, commander of the 1st Canadian Division, said that a grass fire ignited in a training area of the military base, which spread quickly due to strong winds. The cause of the fire was being investigated, he said.<\/p>\n
The military identified those killed as Sgt Morgan Wong of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment and Privates Shaun Farrell, Aidan Goulding and Hayden Lykkemark of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia\u2019s Canadian Light infantry. All four were serving with the battalion, based in Edmonton.<\/p>\n
Rutland said military officials knew about the fire for hours but believed it was contained before winds suddenly shifted, sending flames racing toward the soldiers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fire was a kilometre away when the wind shifted. That is not normal for a fire to move a kilometre in 36 seconds,\u201d he said at a news conference in Edmonton.<\/p>\n
The fire broke out Saturday during high-intensity combat training involving Charlie Company of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia\u2019s Canadian Light infantry.<\/p>\n
About 84 soldiers were in the company, which was split between a grenade range and an area where soldiers practised attacks on simulated enemy positions. The fire swept into the area where the simulated attacks were taking place.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe nation is in mourning for those brave members of our armed forces whom we have lost. And I have asked the flags on all federal buildings to be flown at half-mast to honour them,\u201d Carney told the nation in an address from Ottawa. \u201cWe are praying for the wounded.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carney said he had requested a \u201cdetailed account\u201d from military officials on the ground about what had happened.<\/p>\n
Emergency crews and military personnel gather at the Wainwright Health Centre on Saturday. Photograph: John Ulan\/The Canadian Press\/AP<\/p>\n
The country\u2019s defence minister, David McGuinty, described the event as a \u201cterrible incident\u201d as he travelled to the scene to meet senior officials and first responders.<\/p>\n
\u201cI cannot recall an incident like this in recent memory,\u201d he said, adding that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were involved in the investigation.<\/p>\n
McGuinty did not provide details about what caused the incident and the Canadian armed forces said on Sunday that its \u201cimmediate priority\u201d was notifying next of kin and helping those affected by the fire. The armed forces and federal, provincial and local authorities were coordinating the emergency response, they said.<\/p>\n
Canada\u2019s top soldier, Gen Jennie Carignan, who serves as chief of the defence staff, called the incident \u201ca profoundly difficult moment for the entire Canadian armed forces\u201d.<\/p>\n
The nearby community of Wainwright was providing hospital and firefighting support. Photograph: Jennifer Gauthier\/Reuters<\/p>\n
The nearby community of Wainwright provided hospital and firefighting support. Flares were spotted in the sky and military medical paratroopers dropped in on a local school football field.<\/p>\n
A doctor at a hospital in the city of Edmonton, 180km (112 miles) north-west of Wainwright, told Canada\u2019s national broadcaster that patients were brought to hospitals across the city as Wainwright\u2019s healthcare facilities became \u201ccompletely overwhelmed\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis number of patients would overwhelm the city of Edmonton,\u201d Dr Warren Thirsk, an emergency department physician at the Royal Alexandra hospital, told CBC News. \u201cIt is more patients than any of us want to count right now. It\u2019s a disaster. It\u2019s a one in every 15- to 25-year disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n
Officials asked people in Edmonton to avoid the emergency department at the University of Alberta hospital in order to prioritise victims from the military base. Air ambulances were dispatched from Saskatoon and Edmonton.<\/p>\n
Canada\u2019s prime minister, Mark Carney, said the nation was \u2018in mourning for those brave members of our armed forces whom we have lost\u2019. Photograph: Patrick Doyle\/The Canadian Press\/AP<\/p>\n
The fire at the military base swept into the area where the simulated attacks were taking place, crossing established firebreaks before being contained with help from municipal firefighters.<\/p>\n
The Canadian military said there were no indications of terrorism.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, the Alberta premier described the fire as \u201cheartbreaking\u201d and said it had affected many military personnel.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn behalf of the government of Alberta, I extend my deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones and wish those who have been injured a full recovery. Our thoughts are also with the military personnel, families and colleagues facing uncertainty and grief during this incredibly difficult time,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n
She is due to travel to meet senior officials in Edmonton.<\/p>\n
The Saskatchewan premier, Scott Moe, said his province was sending assistance to Alberta but did not specify what resources were being deployed.<\/p>\n
CFB Wainwright is one of Canada\u2019s busiest military bases. Photograph: Daphne Lemelin\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
CFB Wainwright is one of Canada\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn behalf of the Nato military committee, we extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the tragedy at CFB Wainwright, and our wishes for a full recovery to all the injured,\u201d Adm Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, the chair of the Nato military committee, posted on social media. \u201cThose who fell there served our common security, and the military committee will honour their memory.\u201d<\/p>\n
Canada\u2019s Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, said he had spoken with Carney and the defence minister to offer support to those affected by the fire.<\/p>\n
\u201cPray for Wainwright, everyone,\u201d Poilievre said in a social media post. He urged people in the area to follow emergency instructions and keep roads clear for first responders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Four people have been killed and dozens more seriously injured after a \u201cviolent, fast-moving\u201d fire tore through one…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":933140,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[64,63,75,128],"class_list":["post-933139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-environment","tag-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/933139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=933139"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/933139\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/933140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=933139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=933139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=933139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}