Nine Soldiers Still Critical, 15 on Ventilators After Wainwright Fire

Fifteen Canadian soldiers remain on ventilators more than three weeks after the Oct. 17 fire at CFB Wainwright in Alberta, according to Global News, which obtained part of a confidential Alberta Health Services (AHS) briefing document. The fire killed four soldiers and injured 39.

An Acute Care Alberta (ACA) spokeswoman confirmed to Global News that nine soldiers were in critical condition as of Nov. 9, down from 10 on Nov. 5 and 13 two weeks earlier. Federal officials have also approved extra nursing help for Alberta hospitals.

What the health briefing shows about the injured

The AHS document, dated Nov. 5, said 21 soldiers were still hospitalized in Alberta. Ten were in critical condition, eight were stable in intensive care and three were stable in medical units. By Nov. 9, ACA said 12 were stable across intensive care and medical units.

The document also detailed the burns. Four patients have burns covering 51 to 60 percent of their bodies, three have burns covering 41 to 50 percent and seven have burns covering 30 to 40 percent. The rest have burns covering less than 30 percent.

Fourteen soldiers were being treated at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton and seven at the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary. The report also recorded three discharges and six repatriations, a term that can include transfers between provinces or within Alberta.

Dr. Sayeh Zielke, interim CEO of Acute Care Alberta, told Global News the soldiers remained “gravely ill.” She said some burn patients need prolonged ventilator support because of smoke inhalation or airway injuries, even when their condition is stable. Critical patients typically need further life-sustaining help, such as breathing assistance or medication to maintain blood pressure.

How the information came out: a timeline

• Oct. 17: The fire at CFB Wainwright kills four soldiers and injures 39.
• Oct. 22: The Department of National Defence (DND) issues its last public update on the injured soldiers' condition for nearly two weeks, according to Global News.
• Nov. 4: DND says 25 soldiers remain hospitalized, 14 have been released and four have been moved to hospitals in B.C. and Ontario. It gives no figures on critical cases.
• Nov. 5: The AHS briefing document is dated this day. The federal government also announces $25 million in its budget for Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services to support military members, their families and affected communities, plus $3 million for the Wainwright Military Family Resource Centre.
• Nov. 6: DND says it will comment no further, saying patient status is the responsibility of provincial health authorities and treating clinicians, according to Global News.
• Nov. 9: ACA reports nine soldiers in critical condition. Fifteen Canadian Armed Forces nurses are due to arrive in Alberta.
• Jan. 15, 2027: The date through which the military nurses are scheduled to stay.

The DND and AHS figures differ. DND's Nov. 4 statement counted 25 soldiers hospitalized, while the AHS document counted 21 in Alberta a day later. The two counts use different categories, and the sources do not explain the gap.

Extra nurses and a long recovery

Federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski said Saturday she had approved a request from the Alberta government and ACA for federal help with nursing support. According to an ACA spokeswoman, the 15 military nurses will provide added capacity and relief for staff, replacing Ontario nurses who have since gone home.

Zielke said Alberta's hospitals would have coped without the extra staff, but that adding them was the right step to ease the load on health-care workers. She said the province had 32 critical-care beds and 567 non-ICU beds available as of Monday. She also rejected suggestions of coordination failures or shortages, saying skin tissue, grafts and specialized equipment had all been obtained. “Anything that we’ve asked for, we have been provided,” she said.

Why it matters for the injured soldiers and their families

The figures show that many of the injured still face a long hospital stay. Zielke said the work ahead is long-term: “This is not a sprint, this is a marathon.” She said ACA expects to provide care for these patients through December and January and beyond.

The reporting also shows how hard it has been for the public to learn the soldiers' condition. Global News said it pressed DND for almost a week without receiving critical-condition numbers, and the figures came from a provincial official. Zielke said she would work with the Canadian Armed Forces to provide weekly updates going forward.

Federal money is aimed at military families and the Wainwright community. The $25 million for Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services and the $3 million for the Wainwright Military Family Resource Centre are meant to support people affected by the fire.

What happens next

The military has declined to answer many questions about how the fire started, citing its Board of Inquiry investigation. DND says such inquiries typically take nine to 12 months, though this one could take longer. In the meantime, the military nurses are scheduled to remain in Alberta until Jan. 15, 2027, and ACA plans weekly updates on the soldiers' condition.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by Global News, SSBCrack