Four Canadian service members were killed and dozens of others injured Sunday after a rapidly spreading wildfire engulfed troops taking part in live-fire training at a military base in Alberta, officials said.
The fire broke out Saturday at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright. Powerful winds suddenly shifted direction, driving the flames toward soldiers training nearby, according to The Associated Press.
Thirty-nine people were taken to hospitals, including 19 who were in critical condition. Eight patients were listed as stable, while 12 others were treated for less serious injuries.
Maj. Gen. Wade Rutland, commander of the Edmonton-based 1st Canadian Division, said officials had known about the fire for several hours but believed it remained sufficiently contained to allow training to continue, the AP reported.
Firefighters work to extinguish hot spots in Wainwright, Alberta, on Oct. 18, 2026. (REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier)
“The fire was a kilometer away when the wind shifted. That is not normal for a fire to move a kilometer in 36 seconds,” Rutland said.
The cause of the blaze remained under investigation, and officials had not determined what ignited it.
The military identified those killed as Sgt. Morgan Wong and Privates Shaun Farrell, Aidan Goulding and Hayden Lykkemark, the AP reported.
Wong served with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment. Farrell, Goulding and Lykkemark were members of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. All four were serving with the Edmonton-based battalion.
Prime Minister Mark Carney described the fire as one of the worst peacetime tragedies to affect Canada’s armed forces on home soil, according to Reuters.
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“I cannot recall such an incident in my short time for sure as a minister, but I cannot recall an incident like this in recent memory,” Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty told reporters.
The injured service members were being treated at hospitals in Wainwright, Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary.
Air ambulances from Edmonton and Saskatoon were dispatched to the base Saturday to assist with transporting patients.
Hospitals across Alberta activated “Code Orange,” an emergency designation for mass-casualty events, as medical teams prepared to care for the wounded.
Military and civilian firefighters worked through the night to contain the flames as strong winds continued to intensify the fire.
A sign marks Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta on Oct. 18, 2026, one day after a deadly fire killed four service members and injured dozens of others. (REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier)
The fire moved beyond the base perimeter into nearby areas, but officials said no evacuation orders were issued. By Sunday, local authorities said the blaze was not expected to expand beyond its existing boundaries.
Carney ordered flags on federal buildings across the country to be lowered to half-staff in memory of those killed and injured.
He also commended the emergency crews who fought the fire throughout the night.