Follow-Up: Canada's PM Confirms 4 Service Members Killed, Dozens Seriously Injured in Wainwright Base Fire; Flags at Half-Mast

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed at a press conference on Sunday, October 18, that the fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta killed four service members and seriously injured dozens more. Carney said the families of those killed had been notified, that he had ordered flags on all federal buildings flown at half-mast, and that it was one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada's military on Canadian soil.

The official figure corrects a higher toll that had circulated earlier. This newsroom's first report cited Global News, which, quoting military sources, had said at least seven people were killed; that figure was never confirmed by Canadian officials. The death toll confirmed by the government on Sunday is four. As for the injured, officials have said only that "dozens" were seriously hurt; an exact count has not been released.

"Yesterday afternoon, a violent, fast-moving fire swept through Canadian Armed Forces Base in Wainwright, Alberta," Carney told reporters. "The nation is in mourning for those brave members of our armed forces whom we have lost." He said officials on the ground would deliver a detailed account and a formal briefing on Sunday afternoon.

The Canadian Armed Forces said the fire ignited within the base's training area on Saturday afternoon and then spread rapidly beyond that area. The cause remains unclear, and the military said there was no indication the incident was the result of terrorism. Defence Minister David McGuinty said he "cannot recall an incident like this in recent memory" and that more information would come in the hours and days ahead. An earlier account from sources — that a live-fire training exercise hit a gas line or gas well, triggering an explosion — remains unconfirmed by officials.

Background: driven by wind gusts of about 100 km/h, the fire crossed the base perimeter into surrounding rural areas; Wainwright RCMP said the call for assistance came at about 4 p.m. on Saturday. The incident was treated as a mass-casualty event, and the wounded were taken to hospitals in Wainwright, Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary. Edmonton declared a code orange mass-casualty response as local facilities around the base were overwhelmed. Those killed and injured included reservists and soldiers of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry who had come from bases across the country to train at Wainwright.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith posted on social media thanking emergency workers from Alberta and neighbouring Saskatchewan for their rapid response, writing: "Alberta stands with the Canadian Armed Forces, the people of Wainwright and all those grieving during this difficult time."

CFB Wainwright, about 210 kilometres southeast of Edmonton, is one of Canada's largest and busiest army training bases and its principal live-fire training base, with about 690 military personnel and 300 civilian workers on site on a regular day. Officials have not yet released the names of the dead or an exact injury count; the military's formal briefing on Sunday afternoon is expected to provide further details, and this newsroom will continue to follow the story. (GSM, with reporting from The Associated Press)

Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 图：加拿大总理Mark Carney资料照片（2025年5月摄于白宫），非本次记者会现场。照片：白宫／Wikimedia Commons（公共领域）。File photo of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney (taken at the White House in May 2025), not from Sunday's press conference. Photo: The White House via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

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