Wind Shift Blamed in Deadly Alberta Base Fire That Killed 4 Troops

A wind shift that drove flames a kilometer in 36 seconds killed four Canadian soldiers and injured 39 others during live-fire training at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta, military officials said Sunday. Commanders had monitored the wildfire for hours before the sudden gust overran troops on the range.

Maj. Gen. Wade Rutland, commander of the Edmonton-based 1st Canadian Division, told The Associated Press that military officials considered the fire contained enough to proceed with exercises. “The fire was a kilometer away when the wind shifted. That is not normal for a fire to move a kilometer in 36 seconds,” Rutland said.

Nineteen of the wounded remained in critical condition. Eight were listed as stable and 12 treated for less serious injuries, according to officials. Hospitals in Wainwright, Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary received patients after air ambulances from Edmonton and Saskatoon ferried the most severely burned troops off the base. Several facilities across Alberta activated a Code Orange mass-casualty designation.

The dead were identified by the military as Sgt. Morgan Wong of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, along with Privates Shaun Farrell, Aidan Goulding and Hayden Lykkemark of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. All four served with the Edmonton-based battalion conducting the exercise.

Canadian Forces Base Wainwright spans roughly 1,700 square miles of prairie and serves as Canada’s primary combat training center. Dry autumn grass and erratic winds have long complicated live-fire scheduling at the facility, which regularly hosts brigade-level exercises involving thousands of personnel.

Prime Minister Mark Carney called the blaze one of the worst peacetime tragedies to strike Canada’s armed forces on home soil, according to Reuters. He ordered flags flown at half-staff on federal buildings nationwide. Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty told reporters he could not recall a comparable incident in recent memory.

Investigators have not yet determined what sparked the fire. Military and civilian firefighters battled the flames through the night. The fire crossed the base perimeter into surrounding land, though local authorities said no evacuation orders were issued and the blaze was not expected to spread beyond its existing boundaries by Sunday.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.