Military investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding a fire that swept through the training area at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright on Oct. 17, killing four Canadian Armed Forces members and injuring dozens more.
Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan said the military was committed to establishing what happened, sharing its findings and acting on lessons learned.
“We take this responsibility very seriously,” Carignan said, pledging transparency and continued support for affected families.
Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland, commander of the 1st Canadian Division, said members of Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, along with attached army reserve members and medical personnel, were preparing for a pairs firing exercise when the fire reached their position shortly before 4 p.m. local time.
Rutland corrected an earlier description of the exercise, saying the soldiers had been preparing for a pairs range rather than a section-level attack range. In a pairs exercise, two soldiers work together to engage a target, alternating between covering one another and firing.
Officials said strong winds pushed an existing grass fire toward the training area. The flames crossed the base’s fire guard and reached the soldiers’ position.
Military firefighters responded, followed by crews from the Town of Wainwright and the Municipal District of Wainwright. Soldiers and medical personnel began treating the injured at the scene, Rutland said.
The injured were initially treated in Wainwright before being transferred to hospitals elsewhere in Alberta by STARS air ambulance, Alberta Health Services paramedics and Royal Canadian Air Force helicopters.
All military members on the pairs range were injured, Rutland said. Their families have been notified.
As of Oct. 22, 27 soldiers remained hospitalized, while 12 others had been discharged and were receiving follow-up care.
The deceased were identified as Sgt. Morgan Wong, Pte. Shaun Farrell, Pte. Aidan Goulding and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark. The spellings of the names should be checked against the official Department of National Defence announcement before publication.
Investigations to examine decisions and safety procedures
Military police are conducting an investigation into the incident in co-operation with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Canadian Armed Forces Fire Marshal.
Brig.-Gen. Vanessa Hanrahan, the Canadian Armed Forces provost marshal, said about 30 military police personnel, including members of the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, were conducting investigative work in Wainwright and other parts of Alberta.
Hanrahan said investigators would determine whether a criminal or service offence had occurred. She stressed that the involvement of military police did not mean wrongdoing had been established.
A separate board of inquiry has been established under the authority of the commander of the Canadian Army, outside the divisional chain of command. Rutland said the board would be led by a general or flag officer to help ensure its independence.
The board will examine the circumstances surrounding the fire, identify lessons learned and recommend measures to reduce the risk of similar incidents.
Investigators will review the information available to military decision-makers, how the fire threat was assessed and whether existing range and training policies were adequate, Rutland said.
He said the grass fire had been known about before it reached the soldiers’ position but had not initially been considered a threat.
“Canadians and families are rightly asking how that assessment was reached, what information it was based on, and whether different decisions should have been made,” Rutland said. “Those are amongst the central questions the investigation must answer.”
Hanrahan said a fire was reported on the Automatic Grenade Launcher Range on Oct. 17 during routine military training activities. The fire initially remained within Permanent Danger Area 2, restricting firefighters’ ability to conduct direct suppression, while range control and the base fire hall monitored it throughout the day.
She said a subsequent change in wind direction and velocity significantly increased the fire’s intensity and speed.
Hanrahan added there was no indication that natural gas infrastructure was involved in or affected by the incident.
Rutland said he had initially estimated that the board of inquiry would take at least a month but acknowledged that the estimate underestimated the scope of the investigation. He said the board would take as long as necessary to examine all aspects of the incident.
The military will also review ammunition, range and training safety standards. Changes to procedures, equipment, training or policies will be made if warranted by the findings, Rutland said.
Support for injured soldiers and families
Military officials said their immediate priorities were medical treatment and support for the families of those killed and injured.
Uniformed family liaison personnel are helping relatives with travel, accommodation and administrative arrangements. Chaplains, mental health resources, military family resource centres and transition centres are also providing support, Rutland said.
“In the months ahead, it will be rehabilitation and recovery. In the long term, it will be return to duty where possible, and real support for transition where it is not.”
Gen. Carignan thanked first responders, medical teams, chaplains and civilian colleagues for their assistance. Rutland also recognized the work of local firefighters, paramedics, police and health-care professionals.
Rutland described how soldiers, including some who were injured, helped evacuate their colleagues after the fire reached the range.
“In the minutes after the fire swept through, soldiers and leaders, whether injured or uninjured, did not hesitate. They loaded injured teammates onto vehicles and got them to medical care as quickly as anyone could have.”
“I’ve heard unbelievable stories of valor and heroism over the past few days from those that were on the ground. You will hear those stories when the time is right.”
Rutland said the soldiers had been preparing for demanding military responsibilities, including an imminent deployment alongside NATO allies to deter Russian aggression in Latvia.
He said realistic training was necessary to prepare military members for operational conditions but emphasized that the circumstances surrounding the fire had to be fully examined.
Ontario sends medical help
Alberta health officials said patients were receiving care through hospitals and outpatient services across the province, including specialists at the two burn centres in Edmonton and Calgary.
Dr. Sayeh Zielke, CEO of Acute Care Alberta, said medical teams were treating patients still in hospital and those receiving outpatient care. She thanked health-care workers for their response, calling their efforts “nothing short of heroic.”
Zielke said Ontario was sending 19 specialized burn nurses and five operating-room nurses to support Alberta teams. Their arrival and deployment status should be confirmed before publication.
Give Life Alberta was sourcing skin grafts and burn-care supplies from across the country, according to the supplied account.
Zielke said Alberta hospitals had the capacity to continue caring for patients despite the additional demand. She urged Albertans to seek care when needed and to call 811 for guidance from a registered nurse if they were unsure where to go.
She said individual patient details would not be shared out of respect for patients and their families.
Canadian Armed Forces officials said a CC-130 Hercules aircraft had been arranged to transport specialized civilian medical personnel with burn-care expertise from Toronto to assist with treatment.
Military urges caution with donations
Rutland encouraged Canadians wishing to help affected military members and their families to consider Support Our Troops and Soldier On, two organizations that support members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their families.
He urged people to verify online appeals before donating to ensure their contributions reached the intended organizations.
Officials said discussions about a public memorial service were continuing. They asked the public to be patient and respect the wishes of grieving families.
Rutland said the military did not yet have all the answers but was committed to accounting for its decisions and acting on the findings.
“The same will hold true now,” he said of the military’s commitment to reviewing training incidents and learning from them.
The investigations remain underway.
