Four dead, 39 injured as fire overtakes Wainwright training

A grass fire overtook live-fire training at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright on October 17, killing four service members and injuring 39, as a sudden wind shift drove flames toward soldiers, military officials said. The cause of the fire and whether the deaths could have been prevented remain under investigation. The Department of National Defence said the fire ignited at about 6 p.m. Eastern time during an exercise involving members of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. High winds carried the flames into the unit’s administrative area. Nineteen of the injured were reported critically hurt. Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland said the fire had burned for several hours, but commanders allowed training to continue for a time because they considered it contained. He said a sudden change in wind direction drove the fire toward the training area. Soldiers reportedly saw no fire and then found it upon them within 30 seconds to a minute. Wildfire specialist Jen Beverly said strong, shifting winds, warm and dry conditions, and low humidity can cause grass fires to spread rapidly. She cautioned that the reported speed would be extraordinary if confirmed; it has not been...