Rapid Fire Spread Prevented Escape at Deadly CFB Wainwright Incident, Defence Chief Says
Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan says the speed of a fire's spread was the primary reason soldiers could not escape an incident at CFB Wainwright that killed four and injured 39. Multiple investigations are underway, but training has resumed without immediate procedural changes.
The rapid spread of a wildfire was the primary factor that prevented soldiers from escaping a deadly incident at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Wainwright in eastern Alberta, according to Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan. The fire on Saturday killed four soldiers and injured 39 others.
Military officials reported that the fire originated during training on a nearby automatic grenade launcher range. Brig.-Gen. Vanessa Hanrahan stated the blaze broke out in a "permanent danger zone" where undetonated ordnance poses a risk. Although the fire was being monitored, strong winds caused it to intensify and spread rapidly into the soldier training area.
The affected unit was C Company of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), which was preparing for deployment to Latvia.
Retired Major Robert Parent, who served a 34-year career including three years at CFB Wainwright, noted that dry conditions, a weather warning, and an active fire were all present during the incident.
Multiple investigations have been launched to determine the cause of the fire and examine safety protocols, including why training continued under those conditions. Despite the incident, training has resumed at CFB Wainwright with no immediate changes to procedures pending the results of the investigations.