Fifth Soldier Dies After Canadian Base Fire as 24 Remain Hospitalized

A fifth Canadian soldier has died from injuries suffered in the grass fire that swept through a live-fire training exercise at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta on Oct. 17, the Department of National Defence said in a news release Saturday. With 24 service members still in hospital across the country, the toll from one of the deadliest training accidents in recent Canadian military memory is still not final.

Pte. William Douglas Dal Bianco of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry died Friday in an Ontario hospital, where he had been receiving treatment, CBC News and Global News reported.

The fire by the numbers

• 5 soldiers dead. Dal Bianco joins Sgt. Morgan Wong of Edmonton, Pte. Shaun Farrell of Prince Albert, Sask., Pte. Aidan Goulding of North Vancouver, B.C., and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark of Langley, B.C., Global News reported.
• Approximately 350 troops from the 3rd Battalion were taking part in what Global News described as a routine training exercise when the fire reached them.
• 24 soldiers still in hospital, according to the defence department, while Global News said the Canadian Armed Forces reported that 14 members have been released.
• 21 soldiers in Alberta facilities as of earlier this week. According to Acute Care Alberta, as cited by CBC News, 15 were on ventilators and nine were in critical condition.

How the fire spread

The disaster happened during afternoon live-fire training at the base, about 200 kilometers southeast of Edmonton. CBC News reported that military officials have said a grass fire was burning in a permanent danger area, which meant base firefighters could not get to it. Sudden strong winds, which prompted Environment and Climate Change Canada to issue weather warnings for parts of Alberta that day, spread the flames quickly.

Global News reported that the wind pushed the blaze through the group of soldiers, then over the base fence, where it threatened nearby rural areas and the town of Wainwright.

Why it matters: the toll is still changing

The number of dead has risen from four to five, and the defence department says 24 soldiers remain in hospital. For the families of the injured, that means a long and uncertain recovery. Three of the four soldiers moved to other provinces were being treated at the Ross Tilley Burn Centre at Toronto's Sunnybrook Hospital, according to CBC News. Two of them were receiving around-the-clock care, and the third was an outpatient who does not have to stay overnight.

Moving patients closer to home is meant to let families be nearer to loved ones during treatment. Reports describe a continuing demand on specialized burn care for the soldiers who remain in hospital.

What officials and leaders have said

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Dal Bianco and the other soldiers were training to defend the country and chose to put the futures of other Canadians before their own. Carney closed his statement with a line that CBC News and Global News both quoted: “That is service. Now, we serve them.”

Gen. Jennie Carignan, Canada's top soldier, said the military would honor Dal Bianco's service and continue to stand with everyone affected along what she called a difficult road ahead. Defence Minister David McGuinty offered condolences to his family, friends and fellow service members, and said the government remains committed to supporting the families and the armed forces community.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said on social media she was heartbroken by the news. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Canada would not forget Dal Bianco and mentioned the 24 soldiers still fighting to recover in hospital.

CBC News also pointed to remembrance ceremonies held in Alberta, where the country has been mourning the victims of the Wainwright fire.

Read next
Fire at Alberta's CFB Wainwright Military Base Leaves Dead and Injured
Canada Base Fire That Killed 4 Soldiers Began at a Grenade Launcher Range
Nine Soldiers Still Critical, 15 on Ventilators After Wainwright Fire

Around Prague, based on reporting by CBC News, Global News