WAINWRIGHT - Prime Minister Mark Carney says four military members were killed and dozens more were seriously injured after a violent, lightning-fast fire at CFB Wainwright in Alberta.
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dozens → say → Alberta
He called it one of the “worst tragedies for the (Armed Forces) on Canadian soil in peacetime.”
“The nation is in mourning for those brave members of our Armed Forces we have lost,” Carney told reporters in Ottawa on Sunday.
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Carney → call → Sunday
“Our hearts go with and we are praying for the wounded, and we stand in solidarity and compassion for the families, the friends and the colleagues of all those affected by this tragedy.”
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we → go → tragedy
He said family members of those who died have been notified and that those involved came from military bases across the country, including reservists and soldiers in the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.
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those → say → Infantry
Flags on all federal buildings are also be lowered to half-mast to pay tribute to the brave members who died.
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who → lower → members
The fire erupted Saturday afternoon at the massive base about 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.
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fire → erupt → Edmonton
CFB Wainwright is one of Canada’s busiest bases and is used mainly to train soldiers and prepare units for combat operations.
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Wainwright → use → operations
Police have said the fire broke out in a training area and that officers were notified at about 4 p.m.
Savage winds, gusting at times to 100 kilometres an hour, whistle-roared through large tracts of Alberta on Saturday, toppling trees, slamming signs and sending garbage cans and other debris skittering down alleys and roads.
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winds → say → alleys
Fire crews in the area of the military base and the nearby town of Wainwright scrambled throughout Saturday night after the blaze jumped a fence at the base.
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blaze → scramble → base
No one had to be evacuated from the town, which has about 7,000 people.
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which → have → people
Carney said military and civilian firefighter crews put their lives at risk as they fought the flames in “some of the worst conditions imaginable.”
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they → say → conditions
The fire was contained by 11 p.m.
Officials have yet to confirm details of what happened or what started the blaze, but the Armed Forces
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what → contain → blaze
said there’s no indication it was the result of terrorist activity.
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it → say → activity
Bruce Pugh, Wainwright’s mayor, said he regularly hears the booming sound of artillery and cannons being launched during training from the base, so he didn’t think much when his windows rattled Saturday.
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windows → say → base
“But what was different was that everything went silent after the rattle,” Pugh said in an interview Sunday outside his home, about five kilometres from the base.
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Pugh → go → base
“After that, we have friends who are physicians, nurses, (who) were hearing through personal channels that everybody was being called to help with a mass casualty event.”
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everybody → have → event
Moments later, he recounted, came the sound of sirens and helicopters.
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sound → recount → sirens
Ambulances from all over raced in, shuttling patients to hospitals as far away as Edmonton and Calgary.
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Ambulances → race → Edmonton
STARS air ambulance craft vectored in from Edmonton and Saskatoon.
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craft → vectore → Edmonton
As darkness fell, a lineup of ambulances could be seen outside the local hospital, ready for patient transport.
uncertain
lineup → fall → transport
Just before midnight, Armed Forces medical staff members dropped through the inky black sky, their red parachutes illuminated by flare lights as they glided to the ground.
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they → drop → ground
“It was a specialized unit of the Armed Forces dropping medical personnel,” Pugh said.
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Pugh → drop → personnel
“They’re landing, they’re picking up, they’re taking people to Edmonton, Calgary.”
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they → land → Edmonton
He said the mood in Wainwright was sombre Sunday, noting the town and the base are tightly knit.
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town → say → Wainwright
“They attend our schools, play on the same sports teams,” he said.
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he → attend → teams
“It’s a heavy time.”
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It → ’ → ?
Pugh said the coming days will bring events to commemorate the lives lost, including church services.
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days → say → services
The fire prompted Alberta health officials to invoke a Code Orange Saturday night for hospitals in Edmonton and beyond.
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fire → prompt → Edmonton
Code Orange is a call for hospitals to essentially clear the decks, find staff and free up beds as necessary to handle a mass casualty incident.
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hospitals → clear → incident
That alert was lifted Sunday afternoon.
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alert → lift → ?
The province also said its response to Saturday’s fire involved — with help from Saskatchewan — 22 ground ambulances, six planes and two helicopters.
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response → say → ambulances
The patients in Wainwright have now been moved to four hospitals: two hospitals in Edmonton, one in Red Deer and one in Calgary.
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patients → move → Calgary
More information on how the fire began was expected later Sunday.
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fire → begin → ?
Carney said there would be a public briefing by with officials on the ground in Alberta, including Defence Minister David McGuinty, Eleanor Olszewski, the minister of emergency preparedness, and Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland, commander of the 1st Canadian Division.
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Carney → say → Division
They are to be joined by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, provincial ministers and senior officials.
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They → join → Smith
“The loss of life and injuries are heartbreaking,” Smith said in a statement Sunday.
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Smith → say → statement
Smith said flags at provincial buildings in Alberta would also be flown at half-mast in the days ahead.
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flags → say → days
“Alberta stands with the Canadian Armed Forces, the people of Wainwright and all those grieving during this difficult time,” she said.
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she → stand → time
The tragedy comes as Albertans are to deliver their final votes Monday on whether it’s time to look at leaving Canada.
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it → come → Canada
More than a million Albertans have already cast ballots in advance voting on whether the province should stay in Canada or whether it’s time to hold a second, binding referendum on leaving Confederation.
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it → cast → Confederation
…and 11 more, not listed.
The Aporia
