Fire breaks out at military base

A grass fire ignited on a training range at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta at around four pm local time on Saturday, October eighteenth.

Fire spreads rapidly toward soldiers

Major-General Wade Rutland, Commander of first Canadian Division, said uncommonly strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly and shift direction towards soldiers taking part in exercises.

“uncommonly strong winds caused it to spread rapidly and shift direction”

Four killed, nineteen in critical condition

Four service members are confirmed dead: Sergeant Morgan Wong, Private Shaun Farrell, Private Aidan Goulding and Private Hayden Lykkemark. A further thirty nine people are in hospital, nineteen in critical condition.

Hospital overwhelmed by casualties

Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton declared a code orange disaster protocol on Saturday evening. The emergency response lasted ten hours and involved twenty two ambulances and eight aircraft.

Carney calls it worst peacetime tragedy

Prime Minister Mark Carney described the fire as violent and fast-moving, calling it one of the worst peacetime tragedies on Canadian soil in the history of the military.

“one of the worst peace-time tragedies on Canadian soil in the history of the military”