Ontario sending 28 health-care workers specializing in burn care to Alberta after deadly fire

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The recovery effort following the wildfire that killed three soldiers and a reservist at CFB Wainwright in Alberta last weekend is getting help from Ontario.

The province is sending 28 health-care workers with expertise in burn care and additional equipment to aid in the aftermath of the tragedy that also injured 39 others last Saturday.

“As Alberta hospitals continue to respond to the devastating fire that took place at CFB Wainwright last week, Ontario’s heroic health-care workers are stepping up to help,” posted Ontario premier Doug Ford on his X account, @fordnation.

“Ontario is deploying 28 health-care staff, including surgeons and nurses with special expertise in burn care, to support the recovery efforts,” he said. “We’re also providing additional equipment to support their work as they care for those who were injured in last week’s fire.”

Ford added: “In times of crisis, Canadians pull together and have each others’ backs. That’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Veteran critical of decision to continue training in high winds

Meanwhile, a retired military veteran in Wainwright, located about 200 km southeast of Edmonton, claims the weather conditions were perfect to ignite the deadly grass wildfires but the forecasts were ignored.

Stef Veillet said strong winds had been called for since the previous Wednesday at CFB Wainwright where he worked for a decade as a military driver.

Veillet, now retired from the Canadian Armed Forces, said small fires were already being contained following training exercises at the base whenever anything larger than small arms were fired.

“They decided to keep all the ranges active and keep shooting, totally ignoring the windstorm that was starting,” Veillet alleged in a Facebook post on Monday evening.

“At 10 a.m., I told my spouse that they’d be setting fires everywhere if they keep shooting in a windstorm,” he wrote. “I don’t know whose decision it was to keep the ranges open … But whoever it was, the victims’ blood is on (their) hands.”

Strong winds shifted fire towards victims

Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland, commander of the 1st Canadian Division battalion, told reporters on Sunday the fire had been burning for hours when strong winds moved it towards the victims.

“It was decided that that (training could) carry on for a certain amount of time as it was contained,” said Rutland, adding winds were well below 50 km/h for most the day, which is standard procedure.

But Rutland was told by a commander the fire was only a kilometre away from the victims when it moved very quickly.

“He said within 30 seconds to a minute they saw no fire and then there was a fire right on top of them,” Rutland said.

jstevenson@postmedia.com

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