What do we know about the fire at a Canadian military base?

Four Canadian soldiers were killed and dozens of others were injured as a result of a fire that broke out in a grassy training area at a military base in Alberta, and spread quickly due to strong winds.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in a speech addressed to the nation from the capital, Ottawa, on Sunday, described the incident as "one of the worst tragedies witnessed by the armed forces on Canadian soil in peacetime."

The fire broke out around four o'clock in the afternoon on Saturday, local time (22:00 GMT), at the Wainwright Base of the Canadian Armed Forces, which is one of the most active military training bases in the country. The fire brigades were able to control it.

“The nation is mourning these brave members of our armed forces who we have lost,” Carney said.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said during a press conference on Sunday evening that 39 injured people were receiving treatment in hospitals, including at least 19 people in critical condition.

Wainwright's mayor, Bruce Pugh, told the BBC that fire and rescue teams were still on site to deal with any possibility of renewed fire.

Major General Wade Rutland explained, during the press conference, that members of the infantry were conducting “intensive combat training using live ammunition” in a grenade range and another for attack training, where ten soldiers are training to attack a virtual enemy.

“Multiple types of munitions were being used at the Boinwright training area,” he said, including grenade launchers, grenades, small arms and their ammunition.

A grass fire broke out about one kilometer from the training field, for reasons that are still under investigation, before the fire spread toward the attack field.

“What I can say is that multiple training activities were taking place around the training area at the time,” Ratland added. “Unusually strong winds caused the fire to spread quickly and change direction toward the administrative area of ​​the training area.”

The mayor told the BBC that the sounds of cannon firing were heard from the base on Saturday before they suddenly stopped, noting that hearing the sound of cannons was common in the area.

Then, there were reports that local emergency services were on alert to deal with an incident that required the mobilization of all available resources.

Military personnel and emergency crews battled the fire throughout the night under "some of the worst conditions imaginable," Carney said.

Officials explained that the injured were present at the attack training field, including reservists and members of the Canadian Princess Patricia Light Infantry Regiment.

In a statement issued early Sunday, the Canadian Armed Forces said that "although the investigation into the incident remains ongoing, there are currently no indications that it is the result of terrorist activity."

“We do not believe this incident was caused by any oil and gas infrastructure, or by any external interference,” Ratland said during the press conference.

Wainwright Base is located about 210 kilometers east of Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, and is one of the main bases used by the Canadian Army to conduct live-fire training, and hosts Canadian forces and others from allied countries.

There are usually about 690 military personnel and 300 civilian employees at the base per day.

Warren Thirsk, a doctor in the emergency department at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) that the number of people injured in the accident completely exceeded the capacity of health facilities in Wainwright.