Canada Deploys 50 Investigators to Probe Wainwright Base Fire That Killed Four Soldiers
Wainwright, Alberta — Fifty investigators are examining the fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright that killed four soldiers and injured 39 others, Prime Minister Mark Carney told Parliament in Ottawa on October 19, the Associated Press reported. The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is leading the investigation with support from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Lawmakers observed a moment of silence before Carney spoke.
Carney said a fire had been burning in the training area and, driven by strong winds, jumped nearly a kilometer in less than a minute to where soldiers were gathered. Investigators had not determined what ignited the grass fire, he said, pledging answers as quickly and transparently as necessary. Nineteen of the injured remained in critical condition as of Monday; Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said many suffered severe burns requiring weeks or months of intensive care.
Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland said on Sunday that military officials had known about the fire for hours but believed it was contained and allowed training to continue before winds suddenly shifted; investigators will also examine whether safety procedures need to change. About 84 soldiers from Charlie Company were training at two locations — one for grenade practice, another for assaulting simulated enemy positions — when the fire swept into the second area. The soldiers were preparing for a mission next spring to reinforce Canadian troops serving with NATO in Latvia.
The fire broke out during live-fire training on October 17, killing Sgt. Morgan Wong and Privates Shaun Farrell, Aidan Goulding and Hayden Lykkemark. (GSM, via the Associated Press)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：加拿大军人在 CFB Wainwright 基地进行实弹训练（资料图）。维基共享资源，CC BY-SA 4.0。Photo: Canadian soldiers conducting live-fire training at CFB Wainwright (file photo). Via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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