Canadian Soldier Dies of Burn Injuries From Alberta Military Base Wildfire

Private William Douglas Dal Bianco died in an Ontario hospital on Friday from injuries suffered during an October wildfire at an Alberta military base, raising the death toll to five soldiers.

Dal Bianco served with Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, which had been conducting live-fire exercises on Oct. 17 at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, located 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.

The incident is among the deadliest peacetime training disasters on Canadian soil, leaving 38 troops injured after wind pushed flames across the training area.

"No words can ease the pain of losing a loved one, and my thoughts remain with all those affected by this tragedy," said David McGuinty, Canada’s minister of national defence.

McGuinty said the federal government will honour Dal Bianco's service and sacrifice, while Ottawa has proposed 28 million Canadian dollars to support those affected by the fire.

Prime Minister Mark Carney also praised the fallen soldier, describing the training fire as one of the worst peacetime tragedies on domestic soil.

"Private Dal Bianco and his fellow soldiers were training to defend Canada. With their bright futures still before them, they chose to safeguard ours," Carney said.

The four other soldiers killed in the fire were Sergeant Morgan Wong, 26, Private Shaun Farrell, 23, Private Aidan Goulding, 23, and Private Hayden Lykkemark, 19.

All four deceased service members served with the Edmonton-based battalion, and three of their funerals had already taken place, The Globe and Mail reported.

The Canadian Armed Forces said on Saturday that 24 soldiers remained in hospital receiving medical treatment, while 14 had been released.

According to The Globe and Mail, most patients suffered severe burns, with some hospitalized personnel sustaining burns across more than 50 percent of their bodies.

Acute Care Alberta reported that 21 soldiers were being treated in the province as of Nov. 10, including nine in critical condition.

Four other injured troops were transferred earlier in November to health facilities closer to their homes in British Columbia and Ontario, military officials said.

The fire started when strong winds drove flames toward roughly 350 troops taking part in exercises, before jumping the base perimeter to threaten nearby rural communities.

Military officials said the fire swept across a kilometre in seconds, while base firefighters could not enter the danger area because of unspent explosives, BBC News reported.

Initial findings indicated the fire was likely sparked by a grenade launcher fired on the base range during the live-fire training, according to BBC News.

Military police continue to investigate the fire, while a separate military board of inquiry will examine the circumstances and recommend measures to prevent similar accidents.