Four people are confirmed dead and 39 others are in hospital following a fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, with at least 19 of the injured in critical condition.
Major-General L.W. Rutland of the Canadian Armed Forces confirmed the four deceased members were from Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. He said all four served with Charlie Company of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, and were taking part in training exercises.
Rutland identified the deceased as Pte. Aidan Goulding of North Vancouver, B.C., Pte. Shaun Farrell of Prince Albert, Sask., Pte.Hayden Lykkemark of Langley, B.C., and Sgt. Morgan Wong of Edmonton.
Rutland said a fire ignited inside the base’s training area at about 4 p.m. MDT Oct. 17 and spread rapidly beyond the training area’s boundaries. Military and civilian emergency services responded to control the fire and help those affected.
“At the time there were multiple training activities happening throughout the training area at the time,” Rutland said. “Uncommonly strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly and shift direction towards the range administrative area.”
Rutland said that although there had been reports of explosions, the incident was not believed to have resulted from outside interference, and those circumstances remain under investigation.
“The Canadian Armed Forces National Investigation Service has deployed to CFP Wainwright as well as the 1st Military Police Regiment Incident Response Team and finally they are working alongside RCMP investigators.”
“Canadian Armed Forces Fire Marshal Team members are en route which will be critical to this investigation.”
Rutland said he had been in regular contact with the commander of the RCMP’s K Division and described the collaboration as seamless. He added that supporting soldiers and their families remained the top priority.
“Canadian Armed Forces is providing support to affected families through the chain of command, chaplain services, and other available support resources with more surging by the hour.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said 30 emergency units were deployed to Wainwright during Saturday’s response, including 22 ground ambulances and eight aircraft. She said medical teams also came from across what she called “the Edmonton Corridor and beyond.”
“When crisis hit, Alberta’s frontline heroes did not hesitate for a single second,” Smith said. “I want to express my deepest gratitude to our first responders, including firefighters in the MD of Wainwright, EMS crews, air ambulance teams and frontline staff for the remarkable work over the last 24 hours.”
Smith also thanked Saskatchewan for providing additional air ambulance capacity and other provinces for offering support and condolences.
She said patients were transferred from Wainwright Health Centre to four hospitals: the University of Alberta Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary and Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.
“We know that the road ahead, especially for those who are suffering from severe burn injuries, will be long, requiring weeks and months of intensive and specialized care.”
“We also understand the strain such incidents can have on our frontline staff, which is why a significant priority for today is connecting with those who were involved in the response and ensuring that they have access to mental health supports, including the Employee and Family Assistance Program and peer support.”
Smith said the province’s health organizations, including Recovery Alberta, Primary Care Alberta and Assisted Living Alberta, would be ready to provide additional mental health support at CFB Wainwright if needed.
