At CFB Wainwright near Alberta military base, strong winds spread large fire, municipality tells CBC
Fire spreads at CFB Wainwright
A large fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in east-central Alberta spread rapidly amid strong winds on Saturday. Premier Smith called the event “significant and tragic.” In a social media post shortly after 6 p.m., Prime Minister Mark Carney said a serious incident had created a major fire at the base.
Casualty reports unconfirmed
Dane Lloyd, the MP for a riding west of Edmonton, said on social media he had heard there were “significant casualties” following an explosion and fire at the base. The municipal district’s statements described the response but did not provide casualty figures.
Emergency response underway
The Municipal District of Wainwright said emergency responders were assessing the situation and working to protect people, property and critical infrastructure. It said multiple agencies were responding south of the town of Wainwright.
The district said an emergency co-ordination centre was established at 7 p.m. Multiple jurisdictions were responding, and residents were asked to avoid the Wainwright Health Centre unless they had a critical medical need.
Key points
- A large fire at CFB Wainwright spread quickly during Saturday’s strong winds.
- Premier Smith called the event “significant and tragic.”
- An MP said he had heard there were significant casualties; the district gave no casualty figures.
- Residents were asked to avoid the Wainwright Health Centre without a critical medical need.