A young soldier, Private William Douglas Dal Bianco, has died in Ontario of injuries sustained in the October 17 fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, raising the toll from that training ground blaze to five. Among the thirty-eight injured, more than half remain in hospital, many facing long courses of surgery and rehabilitation that will stretch well beyond the headlines. The fire, which began as a smouldering grass blaze and was driven by high winds into a wall of flame, has left the country grieving over a tragedy that was supposed to prepare soldiers for service abroad. Its cause remain
Fifth Soldier Dies From Injuries After October Fire at CFB Wainwright
Five soldiers have died and 38 were injured, most with extreme burns, after the October 17 fire at CFB Wainwright.
A fifth soldier has died from the Wainwright fire
Mark
Why does a fifth death matter beyond the number itself?
Mimi
Because it shows the injuries are still taking lives weeks later. Dal Bianco was among the seriously hurt, and most of the injured have severe burns needing multiple surgeries.
Mark
How many are still in care?
Mimi
More than half of the 38 injured remain in hospital. Some have burns over more than 50 per cent of their bodies.
Luke
Is that figure current? The last casualty update before this was Nov. 4.
Mimi
Fair point. On Nov. 4 the military said 14 had been released and four transferred closer to home. The hospital count comes from the Globe's reporting now, not a fresh detailed breakdown.
Mark
What do we know about the cause?
Mimi
Officials say a smouldering grass fire became a wall of flame in high winds. It began hours earlier on the automatic grenade launcher range and was monitored for hours.
Luke
But not whether live rounds started it. Hanrahan didn't say.
Mimi
Right, so the ignition source is unconfirmed.
Mark
And accountability?
Luke
Investigations are under way, but the board of inquiry on safety protocols has been promised and not convened. Nothing yet says whether protocols failed.
Der Puls
- A smouldering grass fire on the Wainwright training range was whipped by high winds into a wall of flame, and the death toll has now reached five.
- More than half of the 38 injured soldiers remain in hospital, many with extreme burns, some with over half their bodies affected.
- Several investigations are moving, including Alberta's chief medical examiner and the military's own police service, yet the promised board of inquiry has not been convened.
- The cause is still unconfirmed, and the open question of whether live or explosive ammunition ignited the blaze keeps the pressure on military leaders.
- Soldiers bound for NATO duty in Latvia were caught in the disaster, and families are facing a long, uncertain road of surgeries and recovery.
A young soldier, Private William Douglas Dal Bianco, has died in Ontario of injuries sustained in the October 17 fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, raising the toll from that training ground blaze to five. Among the thirty-eight injured, more than half remain in hospital, many facing long courses of surgery and rehabilitation that will stretch well beyond the headlines. The fire, which began as a smouldering grass blaze and was driven by high winds into a wall of flame, has left the country grieving over a tragedy that was supposed to prepare soldiers for service abroad. Its cause remains unanswered, and until an inquiry is convened, the families and the nation are left waiting for an account of how it happened.
Private William Douglas Dal Bianco, a member of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, died on Friday in Ontario. He had been among the seriously injured in the October 17 fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, and his death makes him the fifth soldier lost to the blaze.
Chief of the Defence Staff General Jennie Carignan offered condolences to his family and comrades, promising the military would honour his service and stand with everyone affected along what she called a difficult road ahead. She also thanked those providing care.
Thirty-eight soldiers were injured, and more than half are still in hospital, many with extreme burns that will require multiple surgeries and long rehabilitation. Four soldiers who died earlier have been laid to rest, all members of the same battalion, and were preparing for deployment to Latvia as part of NATO's effort to deter Russian aggression.
The blaze began as a smouldering grass fire that high winds turned into a wall of flame. Investigations by Alberta's chief medical examiner and military police are underway, and a board of inquiry has been promised. Until it is convened, the central question of what ignited the fire remains unanswered.
Private William Douglas Dal Bianco, a member of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, died on Friday in Ontario, the Department of National Defence has confirmed to The Globe and Mail. He had been among the seriously injured in the Oct. 17 fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta. His death makes him the fifth member of the Canadian Forces to die as a result of that fire.
General Jennie Carignan, Chief of the Defence Staff, offered condolences to his family, his friends and those who served with him. She said the military will honour his dedicated service and continue to stand with everyone affected along what she called a difficult road ahead. She also expressed gratitude to those providing care and support, and said her thoughts were with the injured members and their families.
The toll was four in the immediate aftermath of the fire. Thirty-eight soldiers were injured, and more than half of them remain in hospital. Most of the injured suffered extreme burns that will require multiple surgeries and extensive rehabilitation. Some of those still in hospital have had more than 50 per cent of their bodies burned.
The military's last update on casualties before this one came on Nov. 4. At that point, 14 soldiers had been released from hospital, and four others had been moved from Alberta to facilities closer to their home communities, including in British Columbia and Ontario, where their care continues.
Funerals have been held for the four soldiers who died earlier: Sergeant Morgan Wong, 26, of Edmonton; Private Shaun Farrell, 23, of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan; Private Aidan Goulding, 23, of North Vancouver, B.C.; and Private Hayden Lykkemark, 19, of Langley, B.C. All four were Edmonton-based members of the 3rd Battalion, PPCLI.
CFB Wainwright lies 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton and serves as a combat and live-fire training ground for troops about to go overseas. Officials said the soldiers who died were training for deployment to Latvia, part of the NATO presence meant to deter Russian aggression in the Baltics. Military officials have said the blaze began as a smouldering grass fire that high winds whipped into a "wall of flame." The Globe describes it as one of Canada's worst peacetime training tragedies on home soil, with dozens more injured than in the 1988 Slesse Range disaster, in which six military engineer trainees died and three were seriously hurt during a demolition exercise at CFB Chilliwack.
Several investigations are under way, including by Alberta's chief medical examiner and the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, a military police unit. The military has promised a board of inquiry to examine the circumstances of the fire and the adequacy of safety protocols, but that board has not yet been convened.
At a news conference last month, Brigadier-General Vanessa Hanrahan, the military's top police officer, said the fire started hours earlier on the base's automatic grenade launcher range and was monitored continuously for hours. She did not say whether live ammunition or explosive rounds ignited it. That question, along with the board of inquiry, is what remains to be answered.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
We will honour his dedicated service and continue to stand with all those affected by this tragedy along the difficult road ahead.— General Jennie Carignan, Chief of the Defence Staff
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