A live grenade exercise triggered a massive fire at an Alberta military base, resulting in four deaths and several injuries.
A training exercise involving live grenades caused a deadly fire at a Canadian military base. Four soldiers lost their lives during the accident.
Also, high winds pushed the flames across the Wainwright base in Alberta. Brigadier-General Vanessa Hanrahan confirmed these details to the media on Thursday.
Next, the wind changed direction and speed. This shift made the fire much more intense. It quickly spread into a nearby training area.
Meanwhile, firefighters could not reach the flames directly. The fire burned inside a dangerous area of the range. This area is off-limits to emergency responders.
Then, the blaze started on Saturday afternoon. It happened during combat drills for Charlie Company. These soldiers belong to the 3rd Battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.
As a result, the fire moved into a second training zone. About 84 soldiers were working on the base that day. They were practicing simulated enemy attacks.
Furthermore, the incident caused many injuries. A total of 39 soldiers were hurt. Hospital staff treated 27 of them for their wounds.
Still, this tragedy ranks as one of the worst peacetime events for the Canadian military. The soldiers were training for an upcoming mission in Latvia.
Finally, the Wainwright base remains a major hub for the Canadian Armed Forces. It hosts training for many NATO nations. The military continues to investigate this terrible accident.