4 Soldiers Dead in Fire at Military Base in Canada
Four Canadian soldiers lost their lives and 39 others were injured, 19 of them critically, in a sudden fire that broke out during an exercise at a military base in Alberta.
A sudden fire broke out during a military exercise at a military base in Canada's Alberta province. Four soldiers lost their lives in the incident, while 39 people, 19 of them in critical condition, were hospitalized.
At the CFB Wainwright base in Alberta, a fast-spreading fire broke out during live-fire combat training by Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. Major General Wade Rutland, commander of the 1st Canadian Division, stated that military authorities had been aware of the fire hours prior, but it was believed that the flames were kept under control. It was reported that the flames advanced rapidly toward the area where the soldiers were located due to a sudden shift in the wind direction.
It was announced that the soldiers who lost their lives in the incident were Warrant Officer Morgan Wong and Privates Shaun Farrell, Aidan Goulding, and Hayden Lykkemark. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith noted that a total of 39 people received medical assistance, 19 of whom were in critical condition. Prime Minister Mark Carney described the disaster as one of the greatest peacetime tragedies to occur at a military base on Canadian soil.