The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported earlier, citing unnamed sources, that at least seven people had died at the Canadian Forces Base Wainwright. Canadian authorities said the situation is evolving, noting that they would not confirm the death toll until the victims' families had been notified.
As of 2021, 1,310 military and civilian personnel are stationed at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright. The base, one of the largest in Canada, is located about 210 kilometers east of the city of Edmonton in the province of Alberta. Defense Minister David Magenti said today that he would head to the city to be briefed on the latest developments.
Few details have been disclosed regarding the fire that broke out around 4:00 PM (2200 GMT) yesterday, Saturday, in a training area at the base during winds reaching speeds of 96 kilometers per hour.
Carney stated that military and civilian firefighting teams battled the blaze throughout the night in "some of the worst conditions imaginable."
Carney said that air ambulance planes were dispatched yesterday, Saturday, from Edmonton and Saskatoon, which is about 300 kilometers from Wainwright, heading to the military base. He indicated that the injured are currently receiving treatment in Edmonton, Wainwright, Calgary, and Red Deer.
The CBC reported that the medical sector in Edmonton declared a "Code Orange" emergency yesterday, which signifies mass casualties, in order to coordinate the handling of patients transported from Wainwright.
The town of Wainwright, which has a population of about 6,600, is located just north of the base.
The municipality posted on social media that the fire had breached the base's fence and spread to a neighboring area, but no evacuation orders were issued. It expected today that the fire would not spread any further.
