Major fire at CFB Wainwright spreads into surrounding district amid high winds
By YEGWAVE
The Canadian Armed Forces has confirmed fatalities and injuries from the major fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, as the blaze that spread beyond the base into the surrounding countryside is now being held.
Defence Minister David McGuinty said Saturday night that "there have been both fatalities and injuries as a result of an incident on the base," calling it "a very active and delicate situation" and adding he "cannot recall an incident like this in recent memory."
An official Canadian Armed Forces news release issued early Sunday confirms "the incident resulted in fatalities and injuries." The military says notifying next of kin is the priority and it "will not confirm casualty or injury details until that process is complete." The full extent of the impact remains under assessment.
The fire
The fire ignited within the base's training area at about 4 p.m. Saturday and spread rapidly beyond the training area boundaries on strong winds gusting up to 100 km/h, crossing the base fence into the Municipal District of Wainwright No. 61. Firefighters from multiple jurisdictions responded.
The municipal district's latest update says the wildfire south of Wainwright is being held, with a fire watch remaining in place to monitor changing conditions. No evacuation order was issued.
Mass casualty response
The incident is being handled as a mass casualty event. STARS air ambulance responded with aircraft from Edmonton and Saskatoon, and patients are being transported to hospitals across the region, including Edmonton, where facilities went to Code Orange.
Dr. Warren Thirsk, an emergency physician at Edmonton's Royal Alexandra Hospital, described the scene as "a disaster," saying it was "more patients than any of us want to count right now" and "a one in every 15 to 25-year disaster."
Residents were asked to avoid the Wainwright Health Centre unless critically necessary and to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles.
Investigation underway
The RCMP is involved in the investigation. Officials have not confirmed the cause of the fire. Multiple military sources have told Global News the blaze began when a live-fire training exercise struck a gas line, but that account has not been officially confirmed, and casualty figures cited in reporting remain unverified pending next-of-kin notification.
Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan said the Armed Forces are fully engaged with federal, provincial and local authorities, with the welfare of members, their families and the community as the priority.
Referendum voting disrupted
The fire disrupted advance voting ahead of Monday's provincial referendum. Elections Alberta closed the Wainwright Communiplex advance vote location, directing voters in the area to alternate locations in Lloydminster and Vermilion.
CFB Wainwright, about 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton, is one of the Canadian Army's primary training bases, hosting units from across the country. The situation is developing.
