“Disaster” at military base in Canada – several dead
A “serious incident” has caused a major fire at a military base in the Canadian province of Alberta.
Several people are dead, and local hospitals are reportedly becoming overwhelmed. At this early stage, the government is not providing further details regarding what occurred.
Canadian police were alerted shortly after 4:00 p.m. local time on Saturday to a fire in a training area at the Wainwright military base.
Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that a large-scale fire broke out in connection with “a serious incident.” Several people have been killed or injured.
“Our thoughts are with all the brave women and men affected,” he wrote in a post on X overnight into Sunday (Swedish time).
Firefighting efforts were hampered by strong winds, and the flames spread rapidly across the surrounding area. By Sunday morning, the fire was reported to be under control and no longer posing a threat to infrastructure; however, emergency services remain on-site. The public has been urged to avoid the area.
“A disaster”
Few details regarding the incident have been released, and the cause of the fire remains unknown. The event has been described as “tragic” by the Premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith. Healthcare facilities in the area are reportedly "completely overwhelmed" by the number of patients requiring care, and a reporter on the scene describes seeing "about a dozen ambulances" at the local hospital, CBC reports.
In Edmonton, located approximately 180 kilometers northwest of Wainwright, the healthcare system has shifted into disaster-response mode—a so-called "Code Orange"—to accommodate the large number of patients being transported there.
"This volume of patients would overwhelm the city of Edmonton," Warren Thirsk, an emergency physician at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, told CBC.
"There are more patients than any of us want to count right now. It’s a disaster—the kind that happens once every 15 to 25 years."
Polling stations closed
The Wainwright military base is one of Canada’s most active military training facilities, where soldiers train and prepare for combat operations. The base has a staff of just over 1,000 people.
The incident has also affected early voting ahead of Monday’s referendum on whether the regional government of Alberta should pursue secession from the country. Two polling stations were forced to close, and the ballots were safely transported away.
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