Four people were killed and dozens more were seriously injured in a fire at Canadian military base CFB Wainwright in Alberta. Mark Carney said the blaze was one of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime, and ordered flags on all federal buildings lowered to half-mast.
The fire and subsequent explosion moved quickly because of high winds. The incident forced a major medical response, with patients sent to hospitals across Edmonton after Wainwright's healthcare facilities became completely overwhelmed.
Wainwright fire and response
Carney said from Ottawa, “We are praying for the wounded.” In an earlier post, he called it “A serious incident creating a major fire has occurred at CFB Wainwright, in Alberta. Our thoughts are with all the brave women and men affected.”
David McGuinty, travelling to the scene, called it a “terrible incident” and described the situation on Saturday night as “active and delicate.” Jennie Carignan later called it a profoundly difficult moment for the entire Canadian armed forces.
Edmonton hospitals on alert
Warren Thirsk, an emergency department physician at the Royal Alexandra hospital, said the patient load would overwhelm Edmonton. “This number of patients would overwhelm the city of Edmonton,” he said. “It is more patients than any of us want to count right now. It’s a disaster. It’s a one in every 15 to 25-year disaster.”
Officials asked people in Edmonton to avoid the emergency department at the University of Alberta hospital to make room for victims from the military base. Air ambulances were dispatched from Saskatoon and Edmonton, and military medical paratroopers dropped in on a local school football field.
CFB Wainwright investigation
The Department of National Defence said there were no indications the fire was a terrorist attack, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were involved in the investigation. The Canadian armed forces said their immediate priority was notifying next of kin and helping those affected.
The municipal district of Wainwright said the fire crossed the base's fence earlier on Saturday and spread rapidly owing to high winds. What caused the fire and explosion at CFB Wainwright now sits at the center of the inquiry, even as the response has already pulled in help from Wainwright, Edmonton and beyond.
