Fire at Alberta Military Base Sparks Mass-Casualty Response

A deadly fire ripped through a training area at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta on Oct. 17.

The blaze ignited around 4 p.m. inside the training area, spread beyond the boundaries, and prompted a response from military and civilian emergency services.

Firefighters tried to contain the flames while facing gusts of up to 62 miles per hour in parts of east-central Alberta, which is approximately 265 miles from the U.S. border in Montana.

The Canadian Armed Forces confirmed that there are fatalities and injuries but will not reveal the names or number of victims until after next of kin is notified.

No evacuation orders were issued for the community during the emergency situation. The town of Wainwright, which is near the base, has nearly 7,000 residents.

The cause of the fire has not been released.

Wainwright Mayor Bruce Pugh told CBC News that, although details have not fully been revealed, he believed the incident is the “largest mass casualty event” the community has ever experienced. 

“As far as the involvement of our town, our first responders, our fire department has been fighting the fire and our local hospital has been treating the patients as they’ve been brought in, trying to do the best we absolutely can,” Pugh said.

Pugh added that the town’s local hospital was not built to handle a mass-casualty incident but has coordinated with other medical facilities, and helicopters and planes have been transporting patients as needed.

The fire was contained, and there is “no immediate danger” to the community as of Saturday night, Pugh said in an interview with CBC News.

An emergency department physician at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, 120 miles northwest of the incident, told CBC News that healthcare facilities around the base were “completely overwhelmed” with patients and that emergency medical resources were stretched very thin. 

“This number of patients would overwhelm the city of Edmonton,” Dr. Warren Thirsk told CBC News. “It is more patients than any of us want to count right now. It’s a disaster. It’s a one in every 15- to 25-year disaster.”

A “Code Orange” was activated for hospitals in the area, which is used when multiple patients require coordinated medical care, as provincial health agency Acute Care Alberta urged people to avoid going to or near the University of Alberta Hospital emergency department.

“This is a profoundly difficult moment for the entire Canadian Armed Forces,” Chief of the Defence Staff General Jennie Carignan said.

Carignan said forces will focus on supporting those affected, assisting emergency response efforts, and ensuring the well-being of our members, their families, and the surrounding community.

“While casualty identification and notification processes are ongoing, I extend my deepest condolences to the loved ones of those who have lost their lives,” Carignan added. “Our thoughts are also with all those impacted by this tragic incident.”

Minister of National Defence David J. McGuinty said the Canadian Armed Forces, the Department of National Defence, and partners across the federal government, including Public Safety, were working with the government of Alberta and municipal governments to mobilize all necessary support.

“My thoughts are with the families and with everyone impacted by this tragic event,” McGuinty said. “I would also like to thank the first responders and personnel who continue to work tirelessly in challenging circumstances.”

McGuinty described the situation as “very, very active and delicate” while speaking to reporters on Saturday.

“I cannot recall such an incident in my short time for sure as a minister, but I cannot recall an incident like this in recent memory,” McGuinty said.