He also explained that weather conditions were a contributing factor. “October has been dry,” he observed, while acknowledging the impact of high winds.
The base employed around 1,300 military and civilian personnel, including roughly 1,070 military members, according to October 2025 figures published by the Town of Wainwright. Wainwright is home to over 6,600 people. That excludes personnel living on the base.
“We have neighbors who are either serving or former members of the Canadian Armed Forces. We’re integrated, our kids playing the same hockey teams, attend the same schools,” Pugh told CBC.
Hospitals declare ‘Code Orange’
According to CBC, Edmonton hospitals have called a code orange alert. The designation is reserved for an external disaster or mass casualty incident.
“This would be the largest mass casualty event that we have seen in this community,” Push confirmed to CBC.
He went on to praise first responders working at the local hospital, which served as the initial triage point.