A fifth soldier has died after the CFB Wainwright training fire, with 24 members still in hospital
OTTAWA – National News Service — A fifth Canadian Armed Forces member has died from injuries suffered in the Oct. 17 training fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta.
National Defence identified the soldier as Private William Douglas Dal Bianco of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. The department said Dal Bianco died Nov. 13 while receiving care in Ontario.
Twenty-four military members remained in hospital as of the department’s Nov. 14 update, while 14 had been released. National Defence said 38 members were injured in addition to the five who died.
The fire began at about 4 p.m. Mountain time during live-fire training by members of 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group. The exercise was taking place on an automatic grenade launcher range as part of Exercise Apollo Shooter.
Military police said in an earlier update that the fire was monitored while it remained inside a permanent danger area, where unexploded ammunition can limit direct firefighting. Investigators said a later change in wind direction and speed sharply increased the fire’s intensity and rate of spread.
Those details describe the known sequence, not a finding of blame. The Canadian Forces Provost Marshal’s investigation remains open, and no final conclusion has been released on decisions made before or during the fire.
Defence Minister David McGuinty, Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan and senior army commanders offered condolences to Dal Bianco’s family, friends and fellow soldiers. The Defence Department said support remains available to the injured members and their families.
The tragedy has raised questions about training-range fire management, emergency planning and the conditions under which the exercise continued. Those questions cannot be answered fully until the investigations are complete.
National Defence has not announced when the military police findings or any board of inquiry report will be released. Hospital figures and the condition of injured members may also change.
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