A major fire left people dead and injured Saturday at one of Canada’s busiest military bases, sparked by an unspecified “serious incident.”
The fire broke out at the base of Wainwright, a town in the eastern province of Alberta, according to authorities, and “spread quickly due to strong winds,” the municipal district said in a Facebook post Saturday evening. A call for help came in around 4 p.m., according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Wainwright.
Defense Minister David McGuinty said in a video statement “there have been both deaths and injuries following an incident on the base.”
He did not provide details on the number of victims or the causes of the initial fire, but called the situation an “active and delicate situation” and said an investigation would be opened soon.
Late Saturday evening, the municipal district said the fire was “under control at this time,” although fire crews will continue to monitor the area.
CFB Wainwright, located about 210 kilometers (130 miles) southeast of the provincial capital Edmonton, is one of the busiest military bases in the country, according to a government website. It houses the Canadian Maneuver Training Center and the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre. It is also a training ground for Army field units based in Edmonton.
Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed the fire was the result of a “serious incident”, without specifying details.
A code orange, which denotes an emergency response protocol for a high number of patients, has been declared in Edmonton, according to CNN’s news gathering partner CBC, citing emergency department physician Dr. Warren Thirsk at the city’s Royal Alexandra Hospital.
“It’s a 15- to 25-year disaster,” he said, adding that health centers in Wainwright have been “completely overwhelmed.” Patients are now being directed to hospitals in Edmonton.
CNN has reached out to the Royal Alexandra Hospital, other Edmonton health centers and Alberta Health Services for comment. CNN also contacted the military base, the Wainwright Fire Department, the Alberta Premier’s Office and the municipal district.
The Canadian Armed Forces, federal government, provincial and local authorities are cooperating “to mobilize all necessary support and work through the details of what actually happened,” McGuinty said.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the disaster “significant and tragic,” saying it “affected many of our brave military personnel.”
No evacuation orders have been issued. Authorities asked residents to avoid the incident area, keep roads clear and avoid traveling to the Wainwright Health Center except for critical medical needs.
“I certainly don’t recall any such incident in my short time as minister…I don’t recall any incident like this in recent memory,” McGuinty said in the video statement, in response to a reporter’s question.
Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre also wrote in a message that he spoke 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.
Gn headline
