The fire following Saturday’s deadly incident at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Wainwright has been contained within the Municipal District of Wainwright and is not expected to cross the fireguard, according to the town’s fire chief.
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In a statement dated Oct. 19, Aime Smyl, the Town of Wainwright’s director of protective services and fire chief, said residents should expect lingering smoke over the coming days even as the blaze remains inside the perimeter.
The update comes after military officials confirmed four soldiers died and dozens more were injured in the fire at the base, with the cause of the blaze still under active investigation.
Who responded to the Wainwright fire
Smyl praised Wainwright Fire & Rescue, which includes both the town and municipal district fire departments, for what he called professionalism, courage and dedication throughout the response.
He also thanked the agencies that assisted, including National Defence Fire Services Wainwright, fire departments from Irma, Chauvin, Edgerton and Vermilion, Lloydminster Fire Rescue, Alberta Wildfire, East Central 911, the RCMP and health-care providers.
“At this time, our priority is maintaining our ability to provide emergency response services to the Town and M.D,” Smyl said in the statement, adding he was humbled by the number of other fire departments that offered assistance.
What investigators know so far
Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland, commander of the 1st Canadian Division, said a grass fire ignited at about 4 p.m. Saturday during a training exercise involving the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.
Rutland said uncommonly strong winds spread the fire rapidly and shifted it toward the range’s administrative area, where it crossed established fire guards before crews, working with municipal authorities, were able to contain it.
“It is not normal for a fire to move a kilometre in 30 to 60 seconds,” said Rutland.
Rutland said the unit’s commander on the ground reported soldiers “saw no fire” within 30 seconds to a minute before the flames reached them.
He said grenade launchers, grenades and small-arms ammunition were all moving through the training area that day, but he would not speculate on what ignited the fire.
“Quite frankly, it could have been any of that or none of it,” said Rutland.
He also addressed earlier reports of explosions at the base, saying officials do not believe oil and gas infrastructure or outside interference were involved, though crews will still check that infrastructure.
Board of inquiry to follow military probe
The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service has deployed to the base along with the 1st Military Police Regiment’s incident response team, working alongside RCMP investigators, Rutland said.
A Canadian Armed Forces fire marshal team is also en route, and a formal board of inquiry will follow the initial investigation.
“It is not going to take a day or a week,” said Rutland. “I would come back to you in at least a month.”
Rutland declined to say whether the deaths were preventable, citing the ongoing review of communication between range control, the unit and the fire.
The four soldiers killed
The military has identified the four dead as Pte. Aidan Goulding of North Vancouver, Pte. Shaun Farrell of Prince Albert, Sask., Pte. Hayden Lykkemark of Langley, B.C., and Sgt. Morgan Wong of Edmonton.
Goulding, Farrell and Lykkemark served with the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, while Wong was a reservist with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment.
Rutland said all four families have been notified, as have the families of every injured soldier.
Defence Minister David McGuinty paid tribute to the soldiers at a news conference in Edmonton alongside Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.
“Four soldiers came to Wainwright to prepare to defend this country. Canada will remember them,” said McGuinty.
Status of the injured
Smith said 39 patients remained in hospital as of the weekend update, with at least 19 in critical condition.
Patients were moved from the Wainwright Health Centre to four hospitals: the University of Alberta Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary and Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.
Families can call 811 Health Link for information on loved ones receiving care.
Flags at provincial government buildings across Alberta have been lowered to half-mast, Smith said. This follows earlier reporting on the initial RCMP response to the training area incident last weekend.
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