Four Canadian Armed Forces soldiers were killed and 39 others were injured when a fast-moving grass fire swept through a training area at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, Alta., on Saturday.
The fire broke out at about 4 p.m. during live-fire training exercises, according to Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland, commander of the 1st Canadian Division. Soldiers were throwing hand grenades on a grenade range while others conducted a section attack nearby. Of the 39 injured soldiers taken to hospital, 19 were in critical condition as of Sunday afternoon.
The four soldiers killed have been identified as Sgt. Morgan Wong of Edmonton, Pte. Shaun Farrell of Prince Albert, Sask., Pte. Aidan Goulding of North Vancouver, and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark of Langley, B.C. Wong was with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment serving with the 3rd Battalion of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI); the other three were from 3 PPCLI.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday that 50 investigators are on the ground as the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, supported by the RCMP, leads a complete investigation. He called the incident “one of the worst tragedies for the Forces on Canadian soil in peacetime” and said Canadian flags would fly at half-mast at federal buildings across the country.
Rutland said heavy wind gusts spread the blaze by a kilometre in less than a minute, calling the conditions “uncommon, rapid, and I certainly hadn’t seen anything like it.” He said range control knew about the fire for several hours, but it was decided that training “could carry on for a certain amount of time,” and that conditions were within standard procedures with wind gusts below 50 km/h for most of the day. Environment and Climate Change Canada had issued a wind warning for large parts of Alberta, predicting gusts up to 90 km/h.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, Rutland said. He said there is no indication it involved oil and gas infrastructure. The Department of National Defence said there were no indications the incident was the result of terrorist activity. He expects a full investigation to take at least a month.
About 350 troops with 3 PPCLI were participating in the exercises at the base, located 200 km southeast of Edmonton. The affected unit was Charlie Company. The wounded are being cared for at four hospitals: the University of Alberta and Royal Alexandra in Edmonton, Foothills in Calgary, and the regional hospital in Red Deer.
In the House of Commons on Monday, Carney remembered each of the four soldiers, describing Goulding as someone who “met every hardship with a joke,” Farrell as a “generous and deeply loyal friend” and a grand master of chess, Wong as someone known for being there for those who needed him, and Lykkemark for his quick wit and dream of a career in law enforcement.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, whose riding includes Wainwright, urged Canadians to remember the wounded and their families as the news cycle moves on. “As the spotlight fades and the news moves on, there will be dark, cold emptiness that follows the loss of a loved one,” he said. NDP MP Gord Johns stressed the need to support survivors, saying “not all wounds are visible.”
Sources: CBC Politics · CBC Politics