Carney pledges ‘all the resources’ for probe into fatal fire at Canadian military base

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - Prime Minister Mark Carney said 50 investigators are on the ground in Alberta province to determine what caused a deadly fire that swept through a military training area, killing four soldiers and injuring 39 others.

The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is leading what Carney described as a complete investigation, with support from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The cause of the fire is not yet known.

“We will ensure that they have all the resources they need to complete their work thoroughly and expeditiously,” he told the House of Commons in Ottawa.

The fire broke out Saturday at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, where soldiers of the Third Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, and Army Reserve members training alongside them were conducting live-fire exercises.

“A fire was burning in the training area, driven by ferocious winds. The fire jumped nearly a kilometer, in less than a minute, to where the soldiers were gathered,” Carney said.

“What we do know is that late Saturday afternoon, in the space of a few minutes, 39 soldiers were injured. Four lost their lives,” he added.

Carney said military and civilian crews battled the blaze “in some of the worst conditions imaginable.”

Paying tribute to the soldiers, he said: “They were training to defend Canada, to serve Canada. Now Canada serves them.”

The explosion and fire erupted Saturday afternoon at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, about 200 kilometers (124 miles) southeast of Edmonton, with the blaze spreading beyond a training area as strong winds hampered firefighting efforts.

Merve Gül Aydoğan Ağlarcı