Military names four soldiers killed in CFB Wainwright fire; 19 remain in critical condition

Canada’s military has released the names of the four service members killed in Saturday’s fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, Alberta, as officials confirmed that 39 people remained in hospital on Sunday afternoon with at least 19 in critical condition, CNN reported.

The dead were named on Sunday evening as Sergeant Morgan Wong of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, and Privates Shaun Farrell, Aidan Goulding and Hayden Lykkemark of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told a press conference on Sunday that eight of the hospitalised were stable and 12 were ambulatory with lesser injuries, per a provincial health official.

Maj Gen Wade Rutland, commander of 1st Canadian Division, gave the first detailed account of how the disaster unfolded: a grass fire had been burning “for several hours” about a kilometre from the training activity, and range control judged it contained and let the exercise continue. “Uncommonly strong winds” then shifted the fire. “The fire was a kilometer away when the wind shifted; it is not normal for a fire to move a kilometer in 30, 60 seconds,” Rutland said, adding: “I’ve certainly never seen anything like it.”

One group was “throwing hand grenades” and running attack drills when the flames ignited, Rutland said — though he did not confirm the exercise started the fire, and those injured were training at the section attack range, not the grenade range, The Sun reported. Winds gusted up to 96 km/h, and the Globe and Mail reported, citing internal military communications, that 31 people were “very seriously” injured, per the SCMP.

Rutland said an investigation would determine whether the tragedy was “preventable”. Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier called it “one of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime” and ordered flags flown at half-mast, the Straits Times reported.