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Fatalities reported at CFB Wainwright following major fire

Gianna Mao

16 hours ago

1 min read

Archive photograph: Canadian Armed Forces and Georgia National Guard personnel at Exercise Maple Resolve, CFB Wainwright, May 22, 2013. Georgia National Guard, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0). The agency caption credits Maj. Will Cox; the file metadata credits Cpl. Eric Girard.

A major fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta has resulted in fatalities and injuries, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Saturday. Carney described the incident as a "serious incident creating a major fire" and said federal authorities were working with local officials.

Defence Minister David McGuinty confirmed that there have been "fatalities and injuries" and described the situation as "very, very active and delicate." The fire spread rapidly due to high winds and crossed the base fence, according to the Municipal District of Wainwright.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the fire "significant and tragic" and said it is affecting many military personnel. The base, located about 180 kilometers southeast of Edmonton, is one of Canada's busiest military training centers.

Tank formations move across the terrain of the firing range at CFB Wainwright.

Archive photograph: Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and Lord Strathcona’s Horse, with engineers and artillery, breach an anti-tank obstacle during live-fire training at CFB Wainwright, April 14, 2019. CdnMCG / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photo license and source

Reports indicate that the fire may have been sparked by a gas line or gas well hit during a live-fire training exercise, though sources are unnamed. Emergency crews are managing the situation and protecting life safety, homes, and other structures.

Sources and supporting documents:

www.bbc.co.uk — source reporting

www.dw.com — source reporting

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