Four soldiers and dozens injured in fire at Canadian military base in Alberta, Canada, as high winds fueled the blaze. Prime Minister Mark Carney called the incident one of the worst peacetime tragedies for the Canadian Armed Forces.
The fire, which began around 4 p.m. MDT on Saturday, was fueled by winds up to 96 km/h, according to officials. Major General Wade Rutland described the event as 'uncommon, rapid,' with flames advancing 1 km in 30 to 60 seconds. The dead include Sergeant Morgan Wong, Private Shaun Farrell, Private Aidan Goulding, and Private Hayden Lykkemark.
Prime Minister Mark Carney ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff across the country in honor of the victims. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said many of the injured will require weeks and months of specialized medical care. The fire occurred while 85 soldiers were in high intensity combat training using live munitions at the base.
Officials declined to speculate on the cause of the fire, ruling out outside interference and linking it to the region's oil and gas infrastructure. Military and civilian firefighters fought the fire through the night in some of the worst conditions imaginable.