Live-grenade training sparks grass fire that kills four soldiers at Canadian base
A training exercise with live grenades caused a grass fire at the Wainwright military base in Alberta, killing four soldiers and leaving dozens hospitalized.
A grass fire broke out at the Canadian Army's base in Wainwright, Alberta, on Saturday, killing four soldiers and injuring many others. The blaze started on the automatic grenade launcher range during a routine training exercise that involved live grenades, according to Brigadier-General Vanessa Hanrahan, who briefed reporters on Thursday. High winds spread the fire quickly across the base, overwhelming personnel on site. Officials said 27 people remain in hospital, with several in critical condition.
"The fire initiated on the automatic grenade launcher range … [it] initiated as a result of routine military training that was happening on that range at the time," Brigadier-General Vanessa Hanrahan told reporters.
The incident is being described as one of the most serious peacetime tragedies in the history of Canada’s armed forces.