The Canadian Armed Forces has identified the four service members killed in the deadly fire at CFB Wainwright on Saturday.
Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland told reporters on Sunday afternoon that Sgt. Morgan Wong of Edmonton, Pte. Shaun Farrell of Prince Albert, Sask., Pte. Aidan Goulding of North Vancouver, B.C., and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark of Langley, B.C., had died. Their families have been notified.
“Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those we lost and with the injured members still receiving care,” Rutland said during a news conference. “We stand with the teammates, friends, and units affected by this terrible tragedy. The well-being of our people is our highest priority.”
Dozens more were injured in the incident.
In a post on Facebook, Prince Albert, Sask., resident Patricia Farrell confirmed her son Shaun was among those killed in Saturday’s incident.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that our son, Shaun Farrell, has passed away to be with our heavenly father,” she wrote on Facebook. “We want to thank everyone for your love, support, and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.”
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Farrell asked for privacy as the family grieves.
All four members were serving at CFB Edmonton with the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Light Infantry, and participating in a training exercise at Wainwright.
“(It was) to prepare for two roles, to become what’s called our global response task force, ready to move within hours to any hotspot around the world,” Rutland said, adding it was also to prepare to go to Latvia in April and May to bolster the brigade there. “So this was high intensity combat training with live munitions.”
Rutland said during the training, a grass fire ignited in the training area. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, but uncommonly strong winds caused it to spread rapidly and change direction towards the range administrative area.
Military and civilian emergency services responded to control the fire, which the Municipal District of Wainwright said was being held as of late night Saturday.
Environment Canada had issued a warning of high winds for Alberta earlier in the day, with a windstorm hitting large areas of the province. Gusts reached up to 100 km/h, toppling trees, sending signs flying, and rolling garbage cans down streets.
Asked about the weather conditions, Rutland said forces train in all types of conditions and never know what environment they’ll face. But while the majority of the day saw weather within standard procedures, when the incident occurred the weather “was uncommon, rapid, and I certainly hadn’t seen anything like it.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith also spoke at the news conference and provided more details on the dozens of people injured in the incident.
She said 39 patients were being cared for in hospital, and at least 19 were in critical condition.
Dr. Warren Thirsk, an emergency department physician at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, said doctors were notified of the mass injuries within an hour and 15 minutes of the fire and implemented a “Code Orange” for what he called a one-in-every-15-to-20-year event.
During a Code Orange, “Hospitals do their best to organize and clear space for an influx of patients beyond normal,” said Thirsk, also president of the Alberta Medical Association’s emergency medicine section.
In this case, emergency workers knew there would be numerous burn patients.
The University of Alberta Hospital has a burn unit, so patients were transferred from the U of A to other hospitals in the city to free up space.
As the only other trauma centre in Edmonton, all emergency patients from both inside and outside the city were directed to the Royal Alex.
Eleven emergency room doctors immediately volunteered to come into the hospital, as did other specialists, in response to the disaster, he said.
Even though the Code Orange was stepped down Sunday afternoon, Thirsk said, “there are still people fighting for their lives in intensive care units right now in the city of Edmonton and perhaps elsewhere, and they need our thoughts and prayers.”
Cathy Keane, a mayoral candidate in Oro-Medonte, Ont., said in a social media post Sunday morning that her eldest son was among those injured.
“Overnight, our family received the devastating news that our eldest son is among the military personnel critically injured in the incident in Wainwright,” Keane said.
She went on to say while she’s staying in the mayoral race, she was was travelling to Alberta to be with her son and family and would be unable to continue door-knocking for the remainder of the campaign.
“We are grateful for the kindness and support of our friends and community,” Keane said.
Within the past 24 hours, patients were transferred from the Wainwright Health Centre to four facilities, the University of Alberta Hospital, the Royal Alexandra Hospital, the Foothills Medical Centre, and the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.
—with files from Charles Rusnell and Global News’ Jeff Semple, Karen Bartko and Ashleigh Stewart
First, you stupid FKers said 7 dead; now 4 dead. That’s how unbelievable the news media is
Something fishy going on here
WEATHER DOES NOT IMPEDE THE MACHINE OF WAR @1222
Not a single comment on what actually happened that caused the fall of these members.
They were soldiers under training, not kids playing in a field. Something really isn’t adding up here.
@Brent McGillis.
You are seriously one dumb MF’er to compare construction work to military training operations.
Trained to operate in all conditions because the weather does not impede the machine of war.
I spent most of my adult life in construction, and when news of high winds are reported the night before or in the A.M. hours, we would spend the rest of the day preparing by securing EVERYTHING on the site to be tied down and put away. Then once the weather event arrived the guys were all sent home. It is just common sense to NOT conduct normal operations under such dangerous conditions because personel could be hit by flying debris, construction materials or garbage from another nearby site that was NOT prepared for a “Dangerous weather event”. Obviously the Canadian Armed Forces believe that they are super human, and have NO need to prepare for these extremely hazardous natural disaster events.
My thoughts are with the large cucumber in my anus
@855, WHAT IS THE REAL WORLD? And do I want to live in it? Everyone thinks they know, but me
Such a horrible tragedy. My thoughts and condolences to all.
Cover up?? You need to loosen the tin foil on your hat, sounding a little paranoid. Maybe get out into the real world instead of working on your “research”.
@Ben 737pm. Defending a cover up sounding like the fool you are.
@Ben 737 pm. Insufferable Ben, you are the laughingstock now.
My thoughts are with the rocks, clogged toilets, peanut butter sandwiches, used shoes, broken appliances, etc
My thoughts are with ben, I hope he finds his brain one day 🙏
My thoughts are with all involved.