Blaze that killed 4 soldiers on Canadian military base sparked on grenade launcher range, officials say
October 22, 2026 / 10:50 PM EDT / CBS/AP
TL;DR
- A fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright on Oct. 17 killed four soldiers and injured 39 others.
- The fire started on an automatic grenade launcher range during routine military training.
- A subsequent change in wind direction and velocity caused the fire to spread rapidly and increase in intensity.
- Officials confirmed there was no indication of natural gas infrastructure involvement.
- Twenty-seven soldiers remained hospitalized, while 12 had been treated and released.
- Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that investigators are examining the cause and that the fire was driven by strong winds.
- The soldiers were part of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and Army reservists conducting live-fire training.
- The soldiers were preparing for a mission next spring to reinforce Canadian troops serving with NATO in Latvia.
- The deceased soldiers were identified as Sgt. Morgan Wong, Pvt. Shaun Farrell, Pvt. Aidan Goulding, and Pvt. Hayden Lykkemark.