A smoldering grass fire that erupted into an inferno in seconds killed four Canadian soldiers and sent 39 others to hospitals during a live-fire training exercise at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta on Saturday, in what Prime Minister Mark Carney described as one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada’s military on home soil.

Flames advanced a kilometre in as little as 30 seconds after winds suddenly shifted during the exercise, leaving troops with almost no time to escape, military officials said at a news conference on Sunday.

Officials identified the dead as Sergeant Morgan Wong, Private Shaun Farrell, Private Aidan Goulding and Private Hayden Lykkemark. Of the 39 people hospitalized, 19 were in critical condition, according to officials cited by Reuters.

Wind-driven inferno caught soldiers by surprise

The fire began around 4 p.m. MDT (2200 GMT) on Saturday in a training area of the prairie base where 85 soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry were conducting “high intensity” combat training with live munitions, Major General Wade Rutland told reporters, according to Reuters.

Winds had been below 50 kilometres per hour in the hours leading up to the fire but suddenly surged to up to 96 kilometres (60 miles) per hour, whipping the smoldering grass fire into a fast-moving wall of flame.

Rutland, commander of the 1st Canadian Division based in Edmonton, about 210 kilometres west of the base, described the sudden high winds and resulting spread of the fire as an “uncommon, rapid” event.

“I’ve certainly never seen anything like it,” he said, according to Reuters.

The Guardian quoted Rutland as saying the fire was a kilometre away from the soldiers when the wind shifted, and that it was “not normal for a fire to move a kilometre in 36 seconds.” The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with the RCMP involved, the outlet reported.

The victims and the injured

According to the Department of National Defence, Sgt. Wong was serving with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, while Privates Farrell, Goulding and Lykkemark were members of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. Global News reported that Wong was from Edmonton, Farrell from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Goulding from North Vancouver and Hayden Lykkemark from Langley, British Columbia.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said many of the injured will require “weeks and months” of specialized, intensive medical care. Hospitals in Wainwright and Edmonton received the injured, with emergency crews and military personnel responding through the night, according to The Guardian.

Early reports on Saturday had varied, with some Canadian outlets citing military sources as saying as many as seven people had died; officials on Sunday confirmed the toll at four.

A nation in mourning

“The nation is in mourning for those brave members of our Armed Forces whom we have lost,” Carney said Sunday, adding that he had ordered flags on federal buildings across the country lowered to half-staff to honor the victims. Carney also requested a detailed report into the tragedy, according to The Guardian.

CFB Wainwright, about 210 kilometres east of Edmonton, is one of Canada’s busiest military training facilities. The soldiers caught in the fire had been preparing for deployment to Latvia, where Canadian forces maintain their largest international military operation, Reuters reported.

The incident ranks among the deadliest peacetime training accidents in the history of the Canadian Armed Forces.

What we know so far

• When: Saturday, October 17, around 4 p.m. MDT
• Where: Training area of CFB Wainwright, Alberta
• Dead: Sgt. Morgan Wong, Pvt. Shaun Farrell, Pvt. Aidan Goulding, Pvt. Hayden Lykkemark
• Injured: 39 hospitalized, 19 in critical condition
• Cause: Smoldering grass fire whipped by 96 km/h winds; full cause under investigation

FAQ

What happened at CFB Wainwright?
A grass fire that began in the base’s training area was suddenly fanned by 96 km/h winds on Saturday afternoon, overrunning a live-fire combat training exercise involving 85 soldiers. Four soldiers were killed and 39 hospitalized, according to Reuters.

Who were the four soldiers killed?
Sergeant Morgan Wong and Privates Shaun Farrell, Aidan Goulding and Hayden Lykkemark, according to the Department of National Defence.

Why was the fire so deadly?
Military officials said the wind shift was sudden and extreme: flames advanced a kilometre in as little as 30 to 60 seconds, giving soldiers almost no time to react. Maj. Gen. Wade Rutland called it an “uncommon, rapid” event unlike anything he had seen.

What has the Canadian government said?
Prime Minister Mark Carney called it one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada’s military on home soil, ordered flags on federal buildings lowered to half-staff, and requested a detailed report. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the injured face weeks and months of intensive care.

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Sources: Reuters via ThePrint · The News (citing The Guardian)