Live Grenade Exercise Sparked Fire That Killed Four Soldiers at Alberta Base
A live grenade exercise sparked a fire at the Wainwright military base in Alberta that killed four Canadian soldiers, according to Brigadier-General Vanessa Hanrahan, commander of the Canadian Forces Military Police Group. Al Jazeera The fire also injured 39 people, and 27 of them needed hospital care.
The fire broke out on Saturday on a grenade launcher range during military exercises. High winds carried it across the base, and a change in the wind's direction and speed significantly increased its intensity. The flames spread into a training area.
Firefighters could not fight the blaze directly, because it was inside the range's permanent danger area, a zone where live fire is permitted and access is restricted. Al Jazeera
The fire spread on Saturday afternoon during high-intensity combat training involving Charlie Company of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, a regiment of the Canadian Army. About 84 soldiers were split between the grenade range and an area where they practised attacks on simulated enemy positions.
The soldiers were training ahead of a planned deployment to Latvia, a country on NATO's eastern edge. NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a military alliance of countries in Europe and North America. Canadian forces have their largest international military operation in Latvia, and the Wainwright base regularly hosts training exercises involving personnel from NATO countries. Al Jazeera
Wainwright is one of the largest bases operated by the Canadian Armed Forces. The installation involved in the fire is Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta. CBC News
Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed that four members of the Canadian Armed Forces died in the fire. Reuters
