Live grenade training sparked deadly fire at Canadian base in Alberta, military says

A grass fire that killed four soldiers and injured 39 at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta began on the automatic grenade launcher range during routine training with live grenades, Canadian military officials said Thursday. Brig. Gen. Vanessa Hanrahan, the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal, said the fire started Saturday, Oct. 17. It stayed within the range's Permanent Danger Area 2, which limited direct firefighting, until a change in wind direction and speed sharply intensified it. She said there was no indication natural gas infrastructure was involved. The Armed Forces said 27 soldiers remained hospitalized and 12 had been released. Prime Minister Mark Carney said 50 investigators were brought in.

Reuters, citing a senior defense official, leads with the live-grenade cause and says at least four died. CBS News gives Hanrahan's account of the danger area, the wind shift and the hospital figures, plus Carney's description of the fire jumping nearly a kilometer in under a minute. The Washington Examiner adds that at least 84 soldiers were training, that Maj. Gen. Wade Rutland said the flames crossed in 36 seconds, that 19 of the injured were critical, and that Carney called it one of the worst peacetime tragedies and ordered flags lowered.