Deaths and injuries reported after fire at Canadian military base

A serious incident that caused a large fire at a Canadian military base in Wainwright, Alberta, left people dead and injured, according to Canada’s defence minister. The circumstances were not immediately clear. [1]

Prime Minister Mark Carney described the incident on X as serious and said it had caused a major fire. Defence Minister David McGuinty confirmed deaths and injuries in a statement, calling it a tragic and delicate situation. He said he could not recall a similar incident at a Canadian military base in recent history, but gave no further details. [1]

Hospitals in Wainwright were reportedly overwhelmed. Warren Thirsk, a doctor in Edmonton, about 200 kilometres away, told CBC that his hospital was also preparing to receive casualties. He described the situation as a disaster and said an emergency protocol had been activated. [1]

McGuinty said more information about what happened could be provided in the coming hours and days. [1]