The Canadian flag flies at half-mast in Wainwright, Alta., on Sunday after the deadly fire at CFB Wainwright.Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters
Fifty investigators are now on the ground at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright to determine exactly how a grass fire left four dead and 39 injured, Prime Minister Mark Carney told Parliament on Monday.
Mr. Carney said the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is leading the investigation with the support of the RCMP and that the government will work to ensure they have the necessary resources.
“A fire was burning in the training area. Driven by ferocious winds, the fire jumped nearly a kilometre in less than a minute to where soldiers were gathered,” the Prime Minister said of the incident that took place Saturday. “The original cause of the fire is not yet known.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney in the House of Commons in Ottawa on Monday.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
CFB Wainwright, 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton, is used as a combat and live-fire training ground for troops about to go overseas. Officials said the soldiers who died were among those training for deployment to Latvia. It has not yet been determined whether a live-fire exercise caused the fire.
“When people see the Maple Leaf on the sleeve, they see hope. They get help,” Mr. Carney said in the House of Commons. “The soldiers who were training at Wainwright on Saturday belong to that proud tradition.”
One of the key questions before investigators will be why the Forces proceeded with live-fire training on a day that Environment Canada had predicted would bring high winds.
Mr. Carney's remarks about CFB Wainwright receive applause in the House of Commons on Monday.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
The federal Canadian Wildland Fire Information System, which tracks fire danger and an indicator called the Fire Weather Index, showed both measures were very high or extreme near Wainwright on Saturday afternoon. Data also showed forest and grassland vegetation as being very dry.
Mr. Carney spoke of the four soldiers killed Saturday, sharing insights from families and friends on each one.
They were all Edmonton-based members serving with the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry: Sergeant Morgan Wong of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, Private Shaun Farrell, Private Aidan Goulding and Private Hayden Lykkemark.
“Private Goulding met every hardship with a joke and when others struggled, he shouldered more than his share without ever being asked,” the Prime Minister said.
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“Private Farrell was a generous and deeply loyal friend, known in his battalion as the ‘Grandmaster of Chess,” Mr. Carney. “He planned to make the Forces his career.”
“Private Lykkemark was known for his gift for lightening a hard day, for his quick wit. He dreamed of a career in law enforcement,” the Prime Minister said. He added that Pte. Lykkemark and Pte. Farrell were best friends “seldom seen apart.”
Of Sgt. Wong, Mr. Carney remembered him for his working with NATO allies in Latvia. He said Sgt. Wong was preparing for his second tour in Europe. His family “remembers him as someone who was always there for those who needed him.”
Mr. Carney said the young men had “bright futures” and made a choice to serve the country. “We will honour them always.”