Four service members have died and dozens have been seriously wounded after a major fire swept through Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta on Saturday. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney described the incident as one of the worst peacetime tragedies on Canadian soil in the military's history.
The fire began around 16:00 local time (22:00 GMT) and spread rapidly due to high winds. The Canadian defence ministry has stated that the cause is under investigation, with no indications of terrorist activity at this time. Local media has reported the fire may have started when a gas main was struck during a live firing exercise.
The Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton declared a code orange, a disaster response protocol, on Saturday evening, which was stood down on Sunday afternoon. Alberta's health service reported that 22 ambulances and eight aircraft were involved in the 10-hour emergency response, with ongoing care for the injured expected to be intensive.
Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, located approximately 120 miles (193km) from Edmonton, is one of the Canadian Army's busiest training bases.