Deaths and injuries reported after a major fire at Canada's CFB Wainwright army base in Alberta

18 October 2026

Canada's Minister of National Defence David McGuinty said on Saturday that there had been both fatalities and injuries after an incident caused a large fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta. He described the situation as active and delicate and said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were involved in the investigation, but gave no casualty figures or cause. Prime Minister Mark Carney said a serious incident had created a major fire at the base. The Municipal District of Wainwright said the fire had crossed the base fence and was spreading rapidly in high winds, with gusts of up to 100 kilometres an hour recorded across the province. A doctor at the Royal Alexandra hospital in Edmonton, about 180 km from Wainwright, told CBC that patients were being moved to the city because local facilities were overwhelmed. CFB Wainwright is one of Canada's busiest training bases and is home to the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre and the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre.