Twenty-five Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members injured in an Alberta base fire remained in hospital Nov. 4, while two more had been released since the military’s previous update.
Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) said 14 members had been released from hospital by Nov. 4. Its Oct. 22 update counted 12 released and 27 still hospitalized, meaning the two updates show two additional releases and a net two-person decrease in the hospital count.
Four members who remained hospitalized were transferred to health-care facilities in British Columbia and Ontario after medical assessments and recommendations. DND said the moves brought them closer to their home communities.
The fire began at about 6 p.m. ET (22:00 UTC) Oct. 17 in a training area at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta. The CAF said four members died and 39 were injured, figures also covered in EconoTimes’ initial report on the casualties.
The Canadian Forces Provost Marshal’s Oct. 22 statement said the fire was reported on an Automatic Grenade Launcher range during routine training. Access restrictions limited firefighters’ ability to suppress it directly, and a later shift in wind direction and speed increased its intensity and rate of spread.
DND said the CAF continues to coordinate care with medical professionals and provincial health authorities. Injured members and their families also have access to support services, including assigned Designated Assistants who serve as liaisons. In its Oct. 22 update, DND said a Canadian Forces Military Police investigation was underway and that a separate Board of Inquiry would be conducted.
