A major fire caused deaths and injuries at one of Canada’s busiest military bases on Saturday, sparked by an unspecified “serious incident.”
The fire began at the base in Wainwright, a town in eastern Alberta province, according to officials, and “spread rapidly due to high winds,” said the municipal district in a Facebook post Saturday evening. A call for assistance came around 4 p.m., according to the Wainwright Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Defense Minister David McGuinty said in a video statement “that there have been both fatalities and injuries as a result of an incident on the base.”
He did not provide details about the number of casualties or what caused the initial blaze, but called it an “active and delicate situation” and said an investigation would be launched soon.
Late Saturday night, the municipal district said the fire was “being held at this time,” though fire crews will continue to monitor the area.
CFB Wainwright, located about 210 kilometers (130 miles) southeast of provincial capital Edmonton, is one of the country’s busiest Army bases, according to a government website. It houses the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre and the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre. It’s also a training ground for Army field force units based in Edmonton.
Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed the fire had stemmed from “a serious incident,” without specifying details.
A code orange, which designates an emergency response protocol for a high number of patients, has been declared in Edmonton, according to CNN’s newsgathering partner CBC, citing emergency department physician Dr. Warren Thirsk at the city’s Royal Alexandra Hospital.
“It’s a one in every 15- to 25-year disaster,” he said, adding that Wainwright’s healthcare centers have been “completely overwhelmed.” Patients are now being diverted to hospitals across Edmonton.
CNN has reached out to the Royal Alexandra Hospital, other Edmonton health centers, and Alberta Health Services for comment. CNN has also reached out to the military base, the Wainwright fire department, the Alberta premier’s office, and the municipal district.
The Canadian Armed Forces, the federal government, provincial and local authorities are cooperating “to mobilize all necessary support, and working through the details of what actually occurred,” McGuinty said.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the disaster “significant and tragic,” saying it was “affecting many of our brave military personnel.”
No evacuation order has been issued. Authorities have asked residents to avoid the incident area, keep roads clear, and avoid visiting the Wainwright Health Center except for critical medical needs.
“I cannot recall such an incident in my short time for sure as a minister … I cannot recall an incident like this in recent memory,” McGuinty said in the video statement, responding to a journalist’s question.
Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre also wrote in a post that he had spoken to McGuinty and Carney about the fire, thanked emergency responders, and added: “Pray for Wainwright, everyone.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
