Canadian officials confirmed on Sunday that a Canada military base in Alberta suffered deaths and injuries in a “serious incident” that also set off a major fire. Details of what caused the incident remain scarce.
Defence Minister David McGuinty said late on Saturday there had been “fatalities and injuries” at the base, identified as Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta.
“I’m saddened to share that there have been both fatalities and injuries as a result of an incident on the base,” McGuinty said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney had posted to X earlier on Saturday that “a serious incident creating a major fire” had occurred at the base. Neither he nor the defence minister gave casualty numbers or described the nature of the incident.
CFB Wainwright lies about 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton and ranks among the busiest Army bases in Canada.
Canada military base hospitals overwhelmed by casualties
A doctor at a hospital in Edmonton, about 200 km northwest of the base, told public broadcaster CBC that Wainwright’s health-care facilities were “completely overwhelmed” by the number of patients needing care.
“It is more patients than any of us want to count right now,” said Warren Thirsk. “It’s a disaster. It’s a one in every 15 to 25-year disaster.”
The Municipal District of Wainwright posted on social media that the fire had “spread rapidly due to high winds”. Later on Saturday, it said the blaze was “being held at this time”, though firefighting crews would keep monitoring the area.
McGuinty said more information would follow. “We will have more to say in the coming hours and days,” he said. Carney said the government was working closely with Alberta officials and local authorities. “Our thoughts are with all the brave women and men affected,” he posted on X.
Fire disrupts Alberta independence referendum voting
The fire also reached into provincial politics. It disrupted advance voting ahead of Monday’s referendum on whether Alberta should hold a future poll on independence from Canada.
Alberta’s office responsible for overseeing provincial elections said the advance voting station in Wainwright had closed because of the emergency. The vote is a sensitive one for the province, and the closure of a polling station on the eve of the referendum adds to the disruption.
What happens next
The Canadian government has promised updates in the coming hours and days. The key unanswered questions are the number of dead and injured, what triggered the incident, and whether the fire damaged training infrastructure at one of the country’s main army bases.
Frequently asked questions
Where did the incident happen?
At Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta, about 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.
How many people were killed?
Officials have confirmed deaths and injuries but have not released casualty numbers yet.
What caused the incident?
The cause has not been disclosed. Officials called it a “serious incident” that created a major fire.
How did it affect the referendum?
The fire forced the closure of the advance voting station in Wainwright ahead of Monday’s referendum on a future Alberta independence poll.
Source: Dawn
