At least four people have been killed and dozens seriously injured in a fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta, in what Prime Minister Mark Carney described as one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada’s armed forces on home soil.
The blaze broke out at about 4pm on Saturday in a training area at the base, as winds reached up to 96km/h. Military and civilian firefighters worked through the night in what Mr Carney called “some of the worst conditions imaginable”.
Officials have not yet confirmed the final number of casualties, saying the situation remains fluid and that families must be notified first. A previous report suggested seven people had died.
Firefighters battled blaze at Wainwright base
Mr Carney said those affected had come from military bases across Canada. Air ambulances from Edmonton and Saskatoon flew to Wainwright, while patients were taken to hospitals in Edmonton, Wainwright, Calgary and Red Deer.
Medical staff in Edmonton declared a “code orange”, used to co-ordinate a mass-casualty response, as patients were transported from the base.
The town of Wainwright said the fire had crossed the base fence into the nearby district, although no evacuation orders were issued. On Sunday, the municipality said the blaze was not expected to spread beyond its current boundaries.
Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty said he would travel to the area for briefings. Officials were expected to address the public from Wainwright later on Sunday.
Mr Carney ordered flags on federal buildings across Canada to be lowered to half-staff in honour of those who died.
“The nation is in mourning for those brave members of our armed forces whom we have lost,” he said.
Canadian Forces Base Wainwright is about 210km east of Edmonton and houses the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre, which conducts training scenarios and exercises for the army. The base had 1,310 military and civilian personnel in 2021.
