Canadian forces mistakenly assessed deadly base fire as "contained"

Major General Wade Rutland said military officials knew about the fire at the Canadian Forces Base Wainwright for hours but believed it was contained before winds suddenly shifted, sending flames racing toward the soldiers.

Four Canadian service members were killed and 39 people injured, including 19 critically, when the fast-moving fire swept through an outdoor military training exercise in Alberta, overtaking soldiers as they practiced combat attacks with live ammunition, officials said Sunday.

Rutland said a commander at the scene told him soldiers went from seeing no fire to having flames upon them in less than a minute.

The fire broke out Saturday during high-intensity combat training involving Charlie Company of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.

Rutland said investigators had not determined what ignited the grass fire.

He said the battalion was preparing for rapid deployment to global crises and a mission to reinforce Canadian troops in Latvia next spring.

Prime Minister Mark Carney described the incident as one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada's military on domestic soil.

He ordered flags lowered to half-staff on federal buildings nationwide.