Defence chief pledges to make Wainwright fire inquiry public
Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan has pledged to make public the results of the military board of inquiry into the grass fire at CFB Wainwright that left four soldiers dead and 39 wounded. The Globe and Mail
The soldiers were taking part in a live-fire training exercise when the fire broke out. Those who died were among troops training for deployment to Latvia as part of Canada's NATO commitment.
The base, Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, is located 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton. The Department of National Defence says the fire started in the base training area at about 4 p.m. local time on Oct. 17. Department of National Defence
The fire began as a smouldering grass fire that grew quickly. Strong winds fuelled the spread, according to early accounts. Reuters At least 19 people were in critical condition after the fire.
It has not yet been determined whether the live-fire exercise caused the grass fire. Fifty investigators are now examining what happened. Baltimore Sun
Carignan said the board of inquiry, the military's formal investigation process, could take a year to finish and deliver its findings. Reports from such boards are not automatically made public, but Carignan said the findings in this case will be released.
