Canadian soldier dies after a fifth member of the Canadian Armed Forces succumbed to injuries from the October 17 fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright. Private William Douglas Dal Bianco died on Friday, November 13, in an Ontario hospital, the Canadian Armed Forces said on Saturday.
Dal Bianco was a member of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. He had been receiving medical care in Ontario for injuries sustained during the incident at the Alberta base, and the military confirmed his death in a statement issued on Saturday, November 14. The Canadian soldier dies in an Ontario hospital after weeks of treatment, the military said.
Canadian soldier dies weeks after Wainwright fire
The fire broke out at about 4 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time on October 17, during live-fire training at CFB Wainwright as part of Exercise Apollo Shooter. Members of 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group from the 3rd Battalion were conducting the training when a fire ignited and high wind speeds spread it very rapidly, overtaking the unit administrative area.
The blaze then jumped the base fence and threatened nearby rural areas and the town of Wainwright, about 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton. Five soldiers have now died, and the Canadian Armed Forces said 38 members were injured in the incident. The Canadian soldier dies one month after the fire that claimed four other members of his battalion.
As of Saturday, 24 members were still in hospital receiving treatment, and 14 had been released. Acute Care Alberta reported earlier in the week that 21 soldiers were receiving treatment in provincial facilities as of November 10, with nine in critical condition and 15 receiving ventilator support. The Canadian soldier dies update is the fifth death linked to the October 17 fire.
Canadian soldier dies as four others are named
The four soldiers who died before Dal Bianco were Sergeant Morgan Wong, 26, of Edmonton; Private Shaun Farrell, 23, of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan; Private Aidan Goulding, 23, of North Vancouver, British Columbia; and Private Hayden Lykkemark, 19, of Langley, British Columbia.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Dal Bianco and his fellow soldiers had been training to defend Canada. Carney posted on social media: “Yesterday, Private William Douglas Dal Bianco passed away from injuries sustained in the fire last month at CFB Wainwright.” He has called the fire one of the worst tragedies for the Armed Forces on Canadian soil during peacetime.
Minister of National Defence David J. McGuinty and Chief of Defence Staff General Jennie Carignan shared condolences in the statement announcing Dal Bianco’s death. The Canadian soldier dies announcement came four weeks after the fire, and the military said recovery and care continue for those still in hospital.
Canadian soldier dies amid three investigations
The Canadian Forces Military Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the October 17 fire, independently of the chain of command, to establish the facts and determine whether any criminal or service offences may have occurred. Three separate investigations are taking place, and National Defence had not announced any new investigative findings as of Saturday.
About 84 soldiers with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry were taking part in attack training when winds pushed flames from a grass fire toward them, according to Canadian Press reporting. The incident occurred on a grenade launcher range at the base, and the fire spread so fast that it overtook the unit administrative area before soldiers could get clear. In an update on November 4, the military had reported 25 members still in hospital and 14 released. The Canadian soldier dies four weeks after the fire, and his death brought the toll to five. Carney said the soldiers had chosen “to put the futures of other Canadians before their own.”
The Wainwright training base
CFB Wainwright is a combat and live-fire training facility for military personnel preparing for overseas deployments. As of Saturday, 24 soldiers remained in hospitals across the country.