A deadly incident and a major fire at a Canadian military base in Alberta overwhelm hospitals as far away as Edmonton

The first call came shortly after 4 in the afternoon on Saturday, reporting a fire in a training area at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, one of the busiest army bases in Canada, about 210 kilometers east of Edmonton. By nightfall the fire had crossed the base fence into the surrounding municipal district, driven by a windstorm that was gusting to 60 miles an hour across large parts of Alberta, toppling trees and sending signs flying. Ambulances lined up at the Wainwright health center, helicopters and planes moved patients to other facilities, and the local high school was reported in use as an emergency staging area.

Defense Minister David McGuinty confirmed that the incident killed and injured people. I am saddened to share that there have been both fatalities and injuries as a result of an incident on the base, he told reporters. He gave no official count, and none has been released, as of October 18. Global News, citing multiple military sources, reported at least seven dead and dozens injured, and reported that military sources believe a live fire exercise struck a natural gas line or well, setting off an explosion and fire. The Canadian Armed Forces have not confirmed that account, and it is reported here as an unconfirmed explanation, not a finding.

The medical system felt the scale before the public was given any numbers. Edmonton hospitals activated mass casualty protocols. Dr. Warren Thirsk, an emergency physician at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, told CBC News that facilities around the base were completely overwhelmed and that patients were being brought to hospitals across the city. This number of patients would overwhelm the city of Edmonton, he said. It is more patients than any of us want to count right now. It is a disaster. It is a one in every 15 to 25 year disaster.

McGuinty called the situation very, very active and delicate, said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are part of the investigation, and traveled to Edmonton on Sunday. Prime Minister Mark Carney said a serious incident had caused a major fire at the base and that his thoughts were with the service members affected, and that he and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith were in close contact. By 11 at night the Municipal District of Wainwright reported the fire was being held, with property and critical infrastructure protected, and no evacuation order for residents. The town of Wainwright, next to the base, has about 7,000 people. What happened in the training area shortly after 4 on Saturday is now the subject of a military and police investigation, and the casualty count the minister declined to give is the number the country is waiting for.

The picture with this story is an illustration, not a photograph.