Wainwright Military Base Fire: Survivor Recalls Screams as Injured Soldiers Were Rushed to Hospital
A witness has described scenes of panic and distress following a major fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta, Canada, where at least seven soldiers were reported dead and dozens of others injured.
Brandon Simmons, a resident receiving long-term care at Wainwright Health Centre, told Reuters that the hospital activated a “code orange” emergency response as injured people began arriving from the military base.
According to Simmons, nurses immediately abandoned their routine duties and rushed to collect stretchers, gurneys and available medical equipment to prepare for the influx of casualties. Medical staff then gathered at the hospital’s entrance as emergency teams worked to bring the injured inside.
Simmons said a military vehicle arrived at the health centre and began unloading injured people while nurses and other healthcare workers attempted to stabilise patients and calm those who were distressed.
He recalled seeing people with burns, including one person whose clothing had reportedly been blown off, leaving the individual wearing only underwear.
The witness said the screams coming from the military vehicles left a lasting impression on him, describing the experience as resembling a scene from a war movie.
According to Simmons, ambulances continued arriving throughout the night, with between 12 and 20 vehicles parked along the road at certain points as emergency personnel responded to the growing medical needs.
The incident triggered a large-scale emergency response across Alberta, with Acute Care Alberta later confirming that all code orange activations linked to the emergency had been halted.
A code orange is used in Canada to alert healthcare facilities to a disaster or mass-casualty incident involving multiple patients who require urgent medical attention.
In a statement, Acute Care Alberta said Emergency Health Services Alberta deployed 30 units directly to Wainwright. These included 22 ground ambulances, six fixed-wing aircraft and two rotary-wing aircraft.
The agency said the emergency response was sustained across the system for more than 10 hours, reflecting the scale of the operation required to treat and transport the injured.
Patients were subsequently transferred from Wainwright Health Centre to four medical facilities: the University of Alberta Hospital, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Foothills Medical Centre and Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.
Meanwhile, photographs from the scene showed scorched ground and vegetation still smouldering around the military base after the fire was brought under control. Fire and rescue teams remained at the location to monitor hotspots and prevent possible flare-ups.
Wainwright Mayor Bruce Pugh had earlier indicated that emergency crews were continuing their work at the site to ensure the situation remained under control.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith described the loss of life and injuries as heartbreaking, expressing sympathy for the affected families and everyone dealing with uncertainty and grief.
Smith said she planned to travel to Edmonton to meet provincial ministers and federal officials. An Emergency Management Cabinet Coordination Committee was also convened in response to the incident.
Although the immediate emergency response has been brought under control, questions remain about the circumstances that caused the fire and the full extent of its impact on military personnel.
The incident has placed significant pressure on emergency services and healthcare workers, whose rapid response was central to treating the injured and transporting patients to hospitals across the province.
Source: Thepressradio.com
