The incident occurred at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, one of Canada's busiest military training facilities, located about 180 km southeast of Edmonton.
A doctor at Edmonton's Royal Alexandra Hospital told CBC News that injured people were being transported to hospitals across the city after medical facilities closer to the military base became overwhelmed.
"This number of patients would overwhelm the city of Edmonton," Dr Warren Thirsk, an emergency department physician at the hospital, told CBC News.
"It is more patients than any of us want to count right now. It's a disaster. It's a one in every 15 to 25-year disaster," he added.
A serious incident creating a major fire has occurred at CFB Wainwright, in Alberta. Our thoughts are with all the brave women and men affected. We are working closely with the Government of Alberta and local authorities. Premier Smith and I are in close contact as are our relevant ministers and officials.
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) October 18, 2026
The number of people killed or injured remained unclear as emergency teams continued responding to the incident.
CFB Wainwright had 1,310 military and civilian personnel stationed there as of 2021, Reuters reported, citing census data. The town of Wainwright, population about 6,600, is just north of the base.
Fire spreads beyond military base amid strong winds
According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), officers received reports of a fire in a training area at the military base shortly after 4 pm on Saturday.
Firefighters faced difficult conditions as strong winds swept across Alberta, with gusts reaching speeds of up to 100 kmph.
The winds uprooted trees, blew away signs and sent garbage cans rolling through streets. They also pushed the flames beyond the military base into nearby rural areas.
By 11 pm, the Municipal District of Wainwright said on social media that the fire was being held and that property and critical infrastructure remained protected.
Authorities did not issue evacuation orders for residents. Wainwright, the town located near the military base, has a population of around 7,000.
Canadian Defence Minister McGuinty said the RCMP was investigating the incident and described the situation as "very, very active and delicate."
He said authorities were still trying to establish what had happened and would release further information as it became available.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed concern over the incident. "Our thoughts are with all the brave women and men affected," Carney wrote on social media.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith described the fire as "significant and tragic" and said it had affected many military personnel.
"It is with profound sadness that the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) confirms the incident resulted in fatalities and injuries," the Defence Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
"As emergency responders continue their work and the situation continues to evolve, the full extent of the impact remains under assessment. Our immediate priority is supporting those affected and notifying next of kin. We will not confirm casualty or injury details until that process is complete," the ministry added.
(With inputs from agencies)