Four Canadian Forces members killed in Wainwright base fire

A fire during a live-fire training exercise at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta has killed four Canadian Armed Forces members and injured many others. Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed the deaths and said dozens of people had been seriously injured. He described the incident as one of the worst peacetime disasters for Canada's armed forces, and flags on federal buildings were ordered to fly at half-mast.

Officials named the dead as:

• Sergeant Morgan Wong of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment from Edmonton
• Private Aidan Goulding of 3rd Battalion PPCLI from North Vancouver
• Private Sean Farrell of 3rd Battalion PPCLI from Prince Albert
• Private Hayden Leichmark of 3rd Battalion PPCLI from Langley

Major General Wade Rutland said 39 patients had been taken to hospital, with 19 in critical condition. Families were being notified before casualty figures were updated further.

The incident happened at about 4pm local time at the base in east central Alberta. The fire began in a training area during a live-fire exercise and spread quickly in very high winds, which at one point reached around 100 kilometres per hour. Dry ground conditions helped the fire to spread, and it crossed established fire guards and went beyond the base fence into the surrounding municipal district. The mayor of Wainwright, Bruce Pugh, said the fire had been contained by the following night, with local crews staying on site to prevent flare-ups.

Hospitals in Edmonton, about 120 miles away, were overwhelmed by the number of casualties. A disaster response protocol and a code orange were declared, and the public was asked to avoid the nearby hospital. Alberta's premier said 22 ground ambulances and eight aircraft were deployed. Military helicopters and planes were seen overhead, and specialist paratroopers were dropped in to help on the ground. One witness described seeing burns and people being unloaded from military vehicles, calling it 'a scene from a war movie'.

Early reports said a gas line or gas well had been struck during the exercise, causing multiple explosions. Officials later said the fire originated within the training area and crossed fire guards before being contained with municipal authorities. They said they did not believe it was caused by oil and gas infrastructure or by outside interference. The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, the 1st Military Police Regiment Incident Response Team, the RCMP and the Canadian Armed Forces Fire Marshal were involved in the investigation.

CFB Wainwright is one of Canada's busiest military training bases and is used for live-fire exercises. It covers about 609 square kilometres. Reports put regular staffing at roughly 690 military personnel and 300 civilian workers on site, while other coverage said 1,300 people are employed there. Defence Minister David McGuinty said the situation had been active and delicate, and that the priority was care for soldiers and families. The UK defence secretary, Wes Streeting, offered condolences to those mourning the Canadian personnel.