Fire spread one kilometer in 36 seconds — military exercise in Canada ends in tragedy
At least four soldiers were killed and dozens were injured in a fire that broke out during a training exercise at the Wainwright military base in the province of Alberta, Canada. According to official data, 19 of the injured are in extremely critical condition.
Fire spread one kilometer in 36 seconds — military exercise in Canada ended in tragedy
According to DW, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed the information about the victims at a press conference in Ottawa on October 18.
Carney described the incident as one of the worst tragedies the Canadian Armed Forces have faced on domestic soil during peacetime.
According to authorities, in addition to 19 people in critical condition, nearly 20 others suffered relatively lighter injuries.
The report states that the wildfire broke out on the afternoon of October 18. Despite this, the military leadership decided not to halt the exercise.
Then, strong winds blew, and the fire spread rapidly across the steppe toward the military personnel. According to generals, the flames covered a distance of one kilometer in just 36 seconds.
The cause of the fire and the details of the decision to continue the exercise were not disclosed in the report.