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An internal Canadian Armed Forces memo said the fire index was at a low level for a live ammunition exercise scheduled for Saturday at a base near Wainwright, Alberta, when an “unexpected and sudden change in wind” sparked a grass fire that killed four soldiers and injured dozens more.
“During training, a grass fire occurred, and strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly and change direction; the fire moved toward personnel in the field and beyond their admin area,” the memo said.
Earlier on Saturday, Environment Canada had issued a high wind warning for Alberta. Wind gusts of up to 100 km/h in some parts of the province toppled semi-trailer trucks and uprooted trees.
Issued on Sunday by the Strategic Joint Staff (SJS) and obtained by Global News, the memo also said the fire jumped firefighters and spread beyond the base, forcing the evacuation of a single family home. The fire has been extinguished but is still burning.
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
The SJS reports directly to the chief of defense staff, Canada’s highest-ranking military officer.
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A staff memo stated that the dead and wounded were from Company C or Charlie, Third Battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based at the Edmonton Garrison.
Four soldiers were killed, 31 others suffered “very serious or serious” injuries, and six to eight others had minor injuries, he said.
Fifteen soldiers were intubated and sent to the University of Alberta and Royal Alexandra hospitals in Edmonton.
The memo warned that the situation is “uncertain” and “these numbers of casualty reports are considered accurate but may change over time with ongoing casualty status assessments.”
At a press conference Sunday afternoon, Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland identified the four deceased men as Sgt. Morgan Wong of Edmonton, and Private Shaun Farrell of Prince Albert, Sask., Aidan Goulding of North Vancouver, BC, and Hayden Lykkemark of Langley, BC
Their families have been notified.
Rutland said the training aims to prepare soldiers for a global response task force “ready to move within hours to any hot spot around the world,” and to deploy to Latvia in April and May to reinforce the brigade there.
“This is high-intensity combat training with live ammunition.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney said at a news conference that this was one of Canada’s worst peacetime tragedies.
“The nation mourns the loss of our brave members of the armed forces,” Carney said, adding that, in their honor, flags on all federal buildings will be flown at half-staff.
The Royal Canadian Air Force sent seven Griffon helicopters from Edmonton, and one Hercules aircraft from Winnipeg.
Ten search and rescue technicians were deployed from the Hercules to a field in Wainwright, a town of about 6,500 people about 200 km east of Edmonton, near the Saskatchewan border.
The non-profit charity, STARS, or Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service, sent air ambulances from Edmonton and Saskatoon, and nearby cities sent ground ambulances to help with the transfer of injured victims.
Investigators from the Canadian Army’s National Investigative Service are en route to Wainwright, and the RCMP has offered investigative support, the memo said, adding that the process of victim confirmation and next of kin notification has begun.
