What we know so far about deadly fire at Canadian military base

What the report says

At least four Canadian service members have died after a major fire swept through Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta, according to BBC World News reporting. Prime Minister Mark Carney said dozens more were seriously injured. The blaze began on Saturday afternoon at the rural training base, which is used by the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force, and officials said crews battled it through the night.

Authorities have not yet confirmed what caused the fire. Local reports suggested it may have started after a gas main was struck during a live firing exercise, but that has not been verified by officials. The Canadian defence ministry said the cause remains under investigation and that, so far, there is no indication the incident was linked to terrorism. The fire spread quickly, with local officials saying strong winds helped it move rapidly across the base.

The names of those killed have not been released, though their families have been informed. Alberta health services said the emergency response involved multiple ambulances and aircraft, and a hospital in Edmonton briefly declared a disaster response due to the scale of the casualties. The full extent of the damage and whether the injured were in training areas or living quarters has not been confirmed.

The base is one of Canada’s busiest military training sites and typically hosts more than 1,000 people. The incident is being described by Carney as one of the country’s worst peacetime military tragedies.