A fire broke out on Saturday around 4 PM at the Wainwright military base in Canada, resulting in multiple casualties. According to Prime Minister Mark Carney, the blaze claimed the lives of four people. This figure differs from an earlier report by CBC News, which cited insiders suggesting that the death toll was at least seven, while dozens of others sustained severe injuries.
The Wainwright base, one of Canada’s largest and situated about 210 kilometers east of Edmonton in Alberta, currently houses approximately 1,300 military and civilian employees.
The cause of the fire remains unconfirmed, though strong gusts of wind were present at the time of the incident. Both the military and the federal police are investigating the event.
In response to the mass casualty event, medical personnel in Edmonton declared “Code Orange” to coordinate the care of patients being transferred from Wainwright. Although the fire extended beyond the military facility grounds, causing damage outside the base perimeter, no evacuation orders were issued for the town of Wainwright, which has a population of about 6,600 people.
