A devastating fire has swept through a Canadian military base in Alberta, resulting in the loss of four lives and injuring dozens more.
What happened
The fire broke out at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright on Saturday at around 16:00 local time, during a high-intensity combat training exercise with live munitions. Strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly, shifting direction towards the range administrative area.
According to officials, the fire ignited about 1km away from the training area and moved towards the attack range, where 10 soldiers were conducting a simulated enemy attack. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
Emergency services were quickly deployed to the scene, with military and emergency crews fighting the flames throughout the night in challenging conditions. The injured were taken to hospital, with at least 19 in critical condition.
The base, located about 210km east of Edmonton, is one of the main bases used by the Canadian military for live-fire training exercises and houses troops from Canada and allied countries.
