Timing, weather under scrutiny in deadly CFB Wainwright fire investigation

Twenty-seven soldiers remain in hospital, including 13 in critical condition, following a devastating fire that killed four soldiers during a training exercise at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta.

Military officials said Thursday there have been no additional deaths and 12 soldiers have been discharged from hospital. The fire initially sent 39 injured soldiers to various hospitals.

The decision to hold a live-fire training exercise later in the day during a high-risk fire month will be part of the investigation into the deadly blaze.

1:56 39 soldiers were injured in fatal CFB Wainwright fire, military officials say

The base’s training-range standing orders caution that units firing between August and October should plan early morning shoots, when the fire risk is lower. The document says the fire-hazard risk is “normally low enough to permit the firing of most ammunition natures” before about 10 a.m.

Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland of the 1st Canadian Division told reporters in Edmonton Thursday that the timing of the exercise will be part of the review, but cautioned against reading too much into the document’s recommendations.

“That’s a guideline and commanders on the ground have to assess multiple factors in order to decide whether or not to go ahead with shooting,” Rutland said, including the weather, dryness and the type of munitions involved.

“What needs to be looked at is what were the factors on that day, as opposed to general range guidelines.”

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Canadian Forces Provost Marshal Brig.-Gen. Vanessa Hanrahan said the fire originated as a result of training on the grenade fire range.

She said the location prevented firefighters from suppressing the fire before strong winds suddenly swept up the flames and pushed the blaze in a new direction across the training range.

Military officials said the grass fire broke out on a grenade range in a permanent danger area, where it was being monitored before strong winds in the afternoon quickly pushed the flames toward soldiers conducting attack training.

Officials said the fire spread rapidly, bypassing fireguards and moving toward what’s called a pair’s range, where two soldiers work as a team to practice live-fire exercises. Officials had previously said the fire had leapt to the section attack range.

Roughly 84 soldiers of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry were taking part in a field exercise when the fire swept into their path.

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Officials said they continue to believe natural gas infrastructure was not involved in the accident.

Hanrahan said 30 military police are on the ground investigating, but the information they can confirm at this time remains limited.

“What we can really say that we now know is that the fire initiated on the automatic grenade launcher range and that fire initiated as a result of routine military training that was happening on that range at the time,” Hanrahan said.

“Every other aspect of what happened, from the time that fire originated on that range to what we have today dealing with the tragic accident on a different range in that area, is still under investigation.”

Three investigations into the accident are underway: two led by the military and one civilian. Military police are conducting a police investigation, while a military-led board of inquiry will examine the broader circumstances and recommend measures to prevent a similar incident. The province’s chief medical examiner will investigate the fatalities.

Rutland had said Sunday that the investigation could take at least a month, but said Thursday he had “underestimated the scope” of the military’s board of inquiry.

He said the panel’s fact-finding investigation will take “as long as it takes to examine all facets of the situation.”

Rutland said the military knows it must review its safety regulations, but emphasized that Saturday’s fire was an anomaly.

“We’ll be reviewing things like our ammunition and our range and training safety standards. Concurrent and ongoing investigations will examine every aspect of what happened,” he said.

Training has resumed at the base, although officials said it is not the same type of training that was being conducted Saturday. The entire battalion is expected to redeploy in the coming days.

1:46 Defence minister responds to reports CAF was advised not to conduct fire training at CFB Wainwright

The military also helped transport 19 intensive care nurses and five operating-room nurses from Toronto who specialize in burn treatment to assist with the injured.

Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan said she was heartbroken by the tragedy and promised the military reviews would be carried out transparently.

“There are difficult questions about what happened,” Carignan said. “I am acutely aware of our responsibility to establish the facts, share the findings and act on what we learn.”

‘Our hearts are shattered’

The four soldiers killed were Pte. Shaun Farrell, 23, of Prince Albert, Sask.; Pte. Aidan Goulding, 23, of North Vancouver; Pte. Hayden Lykkemark, 19, of Langley, B.C.; and Sgt. Morgan Wong, 26, of Edmonton.

Farrell is being remembered in his hometown of Prince Albert as a dedicated athlete who was admired by many.

Close family friend Andre Grobler said Farrell was born in South Africa before making Canada and Prince Albert his home in 2017. He described the 23-year-old as a vibrant young man who overcame many challenges in his life.

1:38 Learning about Wainwright victim from Langley

“While our hearts are shattered, we stand before you today not only in deep grief, but also with profound pride in the extraordinary young man Shaun became,” Grobler said.

Farrell’s mother, Patricia Farrell, spoke about facing a future without her son.

“What goes through any parent’s mind when they lose their child, their baby? I’m just wondering what my future is going to be like without him in our lives, without him being around,” she said.

Roughly 150 people attended a vigil late Wednesday at a church in the nearby town of Wainwright, where prayers were said, songs were sung and the names of those killed were read aloud, followed by a moment of silence.

“These courageous soldiers willingly placed themselves in harm’s way to secure our continued peace and freedom as Canadians,” said Pastor Dan Marchuk of the Wainwright Pentecostal Assembly.

Earlier Wednesday, about 300 flag-waving supporters gathered along an area highway to pay tribute to soldiers who were at the training area but were not injured.

Two buses carrying soldiers from the base drove slowly past the crowd as two military helicopters flew overhead. Many supporters held signs thanking the troops for their service.

“Wainwright stands with you,” read one sign. “Our condolences for your comrades and thank you for your service,” read another.

Mayor Bruce Pugh said the last few days have been difficult for the town of roughly 7,000 people, though activities at the base have started returning to normal.

“It’s a Highway of Heroes kind of thing in our own little community,” Pugh said.

“After the incident, they continued on with their training and continued to do their jobs. And so I think the least we can do is show a sense of pride in them and appreciation for what they’re doing.”

The fire continued to burn beyond the training base, but officials said it did not cause any lasting damage to base infrastructure.

–with files from The Canadian Press

2:01 Wainwright gathers for prayer vigil after deadly CFB Wainwright fire

• Wainwright gathers for prayer vigil after deadly CFB Wainwright fire
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• CFB Wainwright: Hometown of soldier killed in incident reacts to loss
• Police, military, fire investigating CFB Wainwright disaster
• 39 soldiers were injured in fatal CFB Wainwright fire, military officials say
• CFB Wainwright fire sparked ‘on the automatic grenade launcher range’
• Defence minister responds to reports CAF was advised not to conduct fire training at CFB Wainwright
• Learning about Wainwright victim from Langley

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