Officials identify four soldiers killed in CFB Wainwright fire, including two from B.C.

A major fire tore through Canadian Forces Base Wainwright on Saturday, killing four soldiers. Military officials identified two of the dead Sunday: Pte. Aidan Goulding, from North Vancouver, and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark, from Langley, B.C. The other two were Sgt. Morgan Wong and Pte. Shaun Farrell.

The fast-moving fire sent 39 people to hospital, 19 of them in critical condition. An earlier report said troops described the fire reaching them within 30 seconds after it was about one kilometre away.

The news from Alberta weighed heavily on politicians campaigning in B.C. on Sunday. The B.C. Conservative Leader, speaking in Delta, said he was “terrified and horrified” as the tragedy unfolded. Doerkson said the men and women who chose to serve the country, and their families, deserved the public’s support. He sent his regards, thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of the two victims from B.C.

Before the soldiers had been identified, B.C. NDP Leader David Eby said he knew many families in the province would be “waiting anxiously” for news about loved ones. He thanked first responders and offered support for the ongoing response in Alberta. After learning that two of the victims were from B.C., Eby said in a statement that British Columbians and Canadians should support their families and join in mourning the tragedy.