The fire that killed four Canadian Armed Forces members at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, Alta., on Saturday began on the base’s automatic grenade launcher range, a designated permanent danger area that base firefighters could not enter, military officials said Oct. 22. Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland and Gen. Jennie Carignan, chief of the defence staff, provided the update at a news conference.
Officials said the fire resulted from a training exercise and was initially reported on the grenade launcher range. The fire spread quickly in strong winds and overwhelmed service members training elsewhere on the base.
As of the Oct. 22 update, 27 soldiers remained hospitalized in serious condition, according to Rutland. Dr. Sayeh Zielke with Acute Care Alberta said 13 of those patients were in critical condition. Health workers specializing in burn treatment from Ontario have been flown to Alberta to assist local hospitals with limited capacity for burn victims.
Three investigations underway
Three separate investigations into the blaze are ongoing: one by the military police, one by the chief medical examiner’s office, and a board of inquiry. Carignan pledged to share the findings of the investigations with the public.
Rutland said the board of inquiry will examine every aspect of the incident, including whether training policies were appropriate and why a grass fire was not assessed as a threat during strong winds. He had previously said the investigation would take about a month but now says he underestimated the scope and that it will “take as long as it takes.”
Family of victim speaks
Later Oct. 22, the family of Pte. Shaun Farrell, one of the four service members killed, spoke at a news conference in Prince Albert, Sask. His mother, Patricia Farrell, described her son as mischievous, hard-headed, loving, and successful, noting he had aspired to join the military since about age five and had left for training in Quebec just over a year ago. His father, Roland, said he will miss his son calling him “old man.” A family spokesperson said they stood “not only with great grief, but also with profound pride” in the young man Farrell became.
Sources: Canada DND Newsroom · CBC Politics