'It is not normal for a fire to move a kilometre in 30 to 60 seconds'
Range control at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Wainwright knew a fire was burning on the base for hours before a wind shift drove it onto soldiers on Oct. 17, killing four Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and injuring 39, a senior commander said.
Members of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (3 PPCLI) were on live-fire training when high winds pushed the fire into the unit's administrative area, National Defence said.
The dead are Sgt. Morgan Wong of Edmonton, of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment serving with 3 PPCLI, and Ptes. Shaun Farrell of Prince Albert, Sask., Aidan Goulding of North Vancouver and Hayden Lykkemark of Langley, B.C.
A timeline still unexplained
Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland, commander of 1st Canadian Division, said officials knew of the fire for several hours and decided to continue training, CTV News reported.
"The fire was a kilometre away when the wind shifted. It is not normal for a fire to move a kilometre in 30 to 60 seconds," Rutland said.
National Defence and Rutland both put ignition at about 4 p.m., and neither has explained how that fits a fire known for hours. The cause is under investigation.
The range-safety framework
Range activities fall under DAOD 2051-0, Range Safety, an order binding CAF members. It commits the military to protecting members from occupational health and safety risks "to the extent practicable in a military context."
It also requires orders on investigating hazardous range occurrences. Public statements have not said whether range orders set wind limits for halting training, who authorized continuing, or whether 3 PPCLI's training is paused.
Military analyst Anthony Seaboyer told CTV News Channel the conditions, a stark example of outdoor work in dry, high-wind conditions, were dangerous. "It was incredibly dry," he said.
Responders under strain
Acute Care Alberta CEO Dr. Sayeh Zielke said 19 patients were critical, eight stable and 12 ambulatory. Code Orange mass-casualty protocols ran for more than 10 hours.
Dr. Steve Fisher, an emergency physician at Royal Alexandra Hospital, told CTV News Edmonton he understood nearly 40 EMS patients were in care, many with burns.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith flagged the psychological toll that traumatic incidents take on workers. "We also understand the strain such incidents can have on our front-line staff," she said.
Inquiry and support
The CAF will convene a board of inquiry, which Rutland said, given "this amount of casualties and complexities," is "not going to take a day or a week." "I would come back in at least a month."
Serious CAF incidents can also lead to military charges, as with the charges laid after a fatal Navy capsize.
Families of CAF members can reach the 24-hour Family Information Line at 1-800-866-4546.
