A fire that broke out at part of CFB Wainwright in Alberta over the weekend has resulted in the tragic loss of four service members and multiple injuries, leaving behind charred land visible even from space.
Satellite images captured by Planet Labs reveal the vast extent of the fire, which was exacerbated by dry conditions and strong winds. Environment Canada had issued a wind alert on the morning of the incident, with the fire danger index in the region classified as extreme by Natural Resources Canada.
The imagery displays an area of approximately 10 square kilometers that had been scorched by the fire by the following day after it was initially reported. The location within the base where the fire ignited is identified as a “permanent danger area” on OpenStreetMap, a widely utilized geographic database.
The Municipal District of Wainwright announced on Sunday that the fire was under control.
Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland of the Canadian Armed Forces, who heads the restructured 1st Canadian Division, informed the media that the fire originated as a grass fire and quickly spread around 4 p.m. due to a shift in wind direction. Activities at the time included soldiers engaging in grenade exercises and a simulated enemy attack involving ten troops.
Additional coverage on the incident includes reports by Wendy Martinez and Elizabeth Thompson.
