A serious incident at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta has left an undisclosed number of people dead and others injured, after a fire broke out in a training area of the base on Saturday afternoon and spread rapidly in strong winds.
Defence Minister David McGuinty confirmed the toll on Saturday evening. 'I'm saddened to share that there have been both fatalities and injuries as a result of an incident on the base,' he said, describing the situation as 'very, very active and delicate' and declining to give casualty numbers. The RCMP is involved in the investigation, and reports of a possible explosion have not been confirmed as the cause, which remains unknown.
The fire, which erupted at about 4 p.m. MT, crossed the base perimeter into the Municipal District of Wainwright. Firefighters from multiple jurisdictions responded, and no evacuation order was issued for the town of roughly 6,600 people, about 210 kilometres east of Edmonton. In Edmonton, a Code Orange mass-casualty alert was declared as patients were transported from the base, Royal Alexandra Hospital physician Dr. Warren Thirsk said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said the federal government was 'working closely with the Government of Alberta and local authorities,' Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the incident 'significant and tragic,' and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said his province was sending assistance. Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan said the military's priority 'remains the welfare of our members, their families and their community.' CFB Wainwright is home to about 1,310 personnel.
