Fire at a military training exercise leaves four dead and dozens injured
On Saturday, Oct. 17, news broke in the early evening of a fire event on the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) in Wainwright, Alberta. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier, Danielle Smith, both calling it ‘significant and tragic.’
The Incident
CFB Wainwright has been around since World War II; it is the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre (CMTC), the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre (3 CDTC), and has approximately 12 lodger units on base. This is where the Canadian Armed forces train for field force units.
Initial accounts from media coverage said there are approximately 690 army personnel and 300 civilians on base. On a regular day, the base would see around 1000 people unless a special training session was in session.
The base has a field that is the location of training for firing artillery. At the far end of said field was where the artillery landed and started a fire. The area has a fire break so that the flames do not jump into the training area. However, on this particular day, the wind was between 69km and 100km an hour, and conditions were very dry.
Locals reported hearing booms coming from the training site, which is very normal as training proceeded, as normal as servicemen firing mortars. (Mortars are essentially stand alone bazookas.)
The dry conditions and high wind conditions allowed the fire to jump off the fire break and rush to the training field. By the time the service members started to pack up, the fire began rushing and four members lost their lives to the fire.
Emergency crews began flooding the base and the community urged members to stay away from the area. In total, 30 emergency units were used: 22 ground units and 8 aircrafts (2 helicopters, 6 planes). An unreported number of air ambulances were sent from Saskatoon to help assist due to the sheer number of injuries. Community members took to Facebook and showed video of the lights and sirens constantly moving to and from the base.
At 11:21p.m., around three hours after the initial reports, crews managed to get the fire under control. The blaze did not interfere with nearby gas and oil infrastructure.
Following the incident, the federal minister of defense went out to Wainwright and leader of the opposition, Pierre Pollivere, returned to his home riding from Ottawa. Initial reports said seven people died but that number dropped to four with 39 people in hospital and 19 critically injured. Edmonton hospitals, especially the burn units, were overflowing and were called into a code orange, which is mass casualty protocol.
Patients with large burn injuries will have hospital stays that will be counted not in days or weeks, but in months, – Dr. Vincent Gabriel
Sargent Morgan Wong, 26 years old from Edmonton, Alberta
Morgan Wong delayed his second deployment to Latvia, as he was supposed to start a new position with the RCMP prior to his death. Wong’s funeral was filled with service members and had Buddhist elements, which was a request of his family. His sister spoke at his service, saying he knew the risks of the military and it never scared or stopped him from protecting others. Wong joined the service at 17 and volunteered regularly with the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program and St. John’s Ambulance.
Private Shaun Farrell, 23 years old from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
Reports from CBC Saskatchewan outlined that Farrell’s body was led home in a procession with many first responders ahead of his hearse. The community of P.A. held a vigil where 200 people attended, including P.A.’s mayor, following the late soldier’s return home.
Farrell was born in South Africa and his family moved to Canada in 2017. He was one of two sons. He was a talented rugby player and track athlete. When Farrell was five, he started telling his family he wanted to be an ‘army man’ and overcame his learning disabilities to achieve his goal of being in service.
Private Aiden Goulding, 23 years old from North Vancouver, British Columbia
CBC Radio talked to Pte Aiden Goulding’s mother, who said that Goulding joined the service in February. She reflected that he did not really know what he wanted to do but he said he wanted to serve his country. Goulding worked his way through basic training in the hopes of being a part of the special ops team and eventually wanted to move to CSIS.
Goulding was one of two sons. His mother said she knew he was going to complete his goal, but unfortunately lost his life before that happened. He was noted by fellow service members as the guy who was always lifting people’s spirits. He was a gifted athlete and was previously a mechanic before joining the service.
Private Hayden Lykkemark, 19 years old from Langley, British Columbia
Hayden Lykkemark was noted by friends via Global News as a great friend and a hilarious person. Lykkemark joined the service right out of high school, and was regarded as a talented student athlete as he played Rugby.
In the description of the Go Fund Me set up for the Lykkemark family, Hayden is described as “…. a true soldier who held the military values in high regard. He supported everyone around him and always boosted morale. Lyk was always there to help his family, especially his brothers.”
Lykkemark has at least one brother, but his other family status was not stated. The go-fund-me has over $32,000 with a $10,000 goal. In a statement released by Canadian Armed Forces member General Jennie Carignan, Chief of the Defence Staff, said this regarding the deceased:
“This is an incredibly difficult time for our Canadian Armed Forces members, their families, and everyone affected by this tragedy. The loss of Sergeant Morgan Wong, Private Shaun Farrell, Private Aidan Goulding, and Private Hayden Lykkemark is a painful reminder of the tremendous sacrifices made by those who serve Canada as members of our armed forces and the risks that come with military service. It is also a reminder of the strength of our military family as we come together in grief. We will continue to stand with the families, friends, and colleagues of those affected, ensuring they receive the care and support they need, now and in the days and months ahead.”
Going Forward
As of now, 12 injured in the CFB Wainwright fire have been released from hospital. 27 members are still in hospital and 13 are deemed critical.
The University of Alberta Hospital has a massive burn care unit that is used as a national hub for burn victims. Burn recovery is complex beyond just outward healing.
Burns can cause massive internal injuries and complex complications. Doctors from the Burn Unit note that the critically burned soldiers have a long road ahead of them.
“Patients with large burn injuries will have hospital stays that will be counted not in days or weeks, but in months,” said Dr. Vincent Gabriel, medical director of the Calgary Firefighters Burn Treatment Centre at Foothills Hospital via CBC.
An investigation as to why the training soldiers were out in the field that day and what went wrong will be conducted in the following days. In the meantime, flags will be sitting at half-mast across the country. This Remembrance Day, Canada will remember these fallen soldiers with gratitude for their service and sadness for lives lost too soon.
