Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty announced on Sunday that a fire at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Wainwright in Alberta resulted in fatalities and injuries. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, prompting a response from federal, provincial, and local authorities to a situation McGuinty described as "very, very active and delicate."
CFB Wainwright, located approximately 120 miles southeast of Edmonton, serves as a primary training site for the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre and the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) reported receiving calls about a fire in a training area shortly after 4 p.m. local time on Saturday.
High winds, with gusts reaching up to 100 kilometers per hour, caused the fire to spread beyond the base's perimeter. While no evacuation orders were issued, the Municipal District of Wainwright requested that residents avoid the area and stay clear of the Wainwright Health Centre to ensure access for critical care. Dr. Warren Thirsk, an emergency physician at Royal Alexandra Hospital, stated that local health facilities were overwhelmed, requiring patients to be transported to various hospitals across Edmonton.
The fire also impacted advance voting for a provincial referendum. Two polling locations in Lloydminster and Vermilion were forced to close early on Saturday. While Elections Alberta confirmed that ballots were moved to secure locations, the disruption occurred ahead of the scheduled Monday vote on a referendum regarding whether Alberta should begin a process that could lead to independence from Canada.
A full investigation into the cause of the fire is currently being conducted by the RCMP and military officials. Defence Minister McGuinty indicated that further information would be released as the investigation progresses. As of Sunday morning, authorities have not provided a specific timeline for when the base will resume normal operations or when the final count of casualties will be made public.