Canada deploys 50 investigators to probe military base fire that killed 4 soldiers

WAINWRIGHT, Alberta (AP) — Fifty investigators are examining a fire at a Canadian military base that killed four soldiers and injured 39 others, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday, as questions mount over why training continued despite officials knowing a fire was burning nearby.

Speaking in Parliament in Ottawa, Carney said the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service was leading the investigation, with support from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, into Saturday’s tragedy at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta.

Lawmakers observed a moment of silence before Carney addressed the House of Commons. Opposition party leaders also paid tribute.

“A fire was burning in the training area. Driven by ferocious winds, the fire jumped nearly a kilometer in less than a minute to where soldiers were gathered,” Carney said.

He said investigators had not determined what ignited the grass fire.

“We will get the answers to what caused this terrible tragedy, as expeditiously and transparently as necessary,” Carney later told reporters.

The fire overtook soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, and Army reservists conducting live-fire training.

Nineteen of the injured were in critical condition as of Monday. Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, who represents Wainwright in Parliament and was visiting the town, said many suffered severe burns requiring weeks or months of intensive care. He warned that their lives might never be the same.

Maj. Gen. Wade Rutland said Sunday that military officials knew about the fire for hours but believed it was contained and allowed training to continue before winds suddenly shifted.

About 84 soldiers from Charlie Company were training at two locations, one for throwing grenades and another for practicing attacks on simulated enemy positions. The fire swept into the second area.

Carney said the soldiers were preparing for a mission next spring to reinforce Canadian troops serving with NATO in Latvia.

Rutland said investigators would examine whether winds drove the flames toward the soldiers or whether the fire spread unseen through vegetation. They will also examine whether military safety procedures need to change.

The military identified those killed as Sgt. Morgan Wong of Edmonton; Pvt. Shaun Farrell of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan; Pvt. Aidan Goulding of North Vancouver, British Columbia; and Pvt. Hayden Lykkemark of Langley, British Columbia.

Carney remembered Goulding as someone who willingly took on difficult challenges, and Wong as someone his family could always depend on. He said Farrell and Lykkemark were best friends and that Lykkemark had dreamed of a career in law enforcement.

Poilievre recalled meeting Goulding during Canada Day celebrations at the base in July, when a group of young soldiers approached him for a photograph. After Saturday’s tragedy, someone sent him the picture identifying Goulding as one of those killed.

Poilievre also said he had heard accounts of soldiers who ran toward the flames to help their comrades, describing their actions as extraordinary acts of courage.

Military liaison officers were assisting families at hospitals in Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer and Wainwright. Mental health teams and chaplains were also supporting soldiers and their families.

Carney ordered flags lowered to half-staff on all federal buildings nationwide Sunday in honor of the four soldiers killed.

Flowers were placed at Wainwright’s century-old war memorial, a stone clock tower honoring soldiers killed in past conflicts. The tower survived a devastating fire that swept through downtown Wainwright in 1929.

“They were training to defend Canada. To serve Canada. Now, Canada serves them,” Carney said.

Gillies reported from Edmonton, Alberta.

A group of young men pay their respects to the victims of a grass fire that killed four soldiers at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, at the Memorial Clock Tower in Wainwright, Alberta, on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. (John Ulan/The Canadian Press via AP)

A group of young men pay their respects to the victims of a grass fire that killed four soldiers at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, at the Memorial Clock Tower in Wainwright, Alberta, on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. (John Ulan/The Canadian Press via AP)

In this photo taken with a smart phone, a car drives through a security booth at the entrance to Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta, Canada, Monday, Oct. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ty O'Neil)

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks about the incident at CFB Wainwright as he rises in the House of Commons in Ottawa, Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The NFL on Monday suspended Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardiner-Johnson for one game without pay for spitting in the direction of Las Vegas Raiders players on the field during a game a day earlier.

Gardiner-Johnson was ejected late in the second quarter for unsportsmanlike conduct following an exchange with a group of Raiders players, including tight end Brock Bowers.

In issuing the suspension, the league cited its rule applying to “any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.”

With Buffalo (5-1) entering its bye week, Gardiner-Johnson’s suspension will begin on Oct. 26 and run through Nov. 2, a day after the Bills host the Baltimore Ravens. The player has the right to appeal the suspension.

Gardner-Johnson apologized to his teammates immediately following Buffalo’s 33-30 win, and has since posted a note on social media apologizing to fans.

“I owe my teammates an apology and to be a man about it,” Gardner-Johnson said following the game.

“You got to understand that as a grown man you can’t be doing (stuff) like that in a game,” he added. “As a vet, I’ll be better. I’ll take my consequences as it is, handle it like a man and move on.”

The 28-year-old won a Super Bowl with the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles and is on his sixth team in eight seasons, and signed a one-year contract with Buffalo in March.

Coach Joe Brady referred to Gardner-Johnson's spitting act as being “inexcusable," and said he's discussed the matter privately with the player.

“It can't happen. That's not what we're about. That's not what the game of football is about, and he knows that,” Brady said.

Gardner-Johnson arrived in Buffalo with an established reputation of being a noted trash-talker and as someone who has on occasion crossed the line with illegal hits.

“I don't need a roster of everybody being the same person,” Brady said. “Obviously, he crossed the line yesterday and that can't happen. It won't happen again. Personality-wise, I'm not afraid to have people who are going to try to toe the line in everything they do.”

Also, the Bills are bringing back a familiar face with cornerback Tre'Davious White agreeing to sign to the team's practice squad, a person with knowledge of discussions told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the signing has not been announced.

The 31-year-old White returns for what would be a third stint in Buffalo, and provide the Bills secondary with some much-needed experience. White was selected by Buffalo in the first round of the 2017 draft, and spent his first seven seasons with the Bills before his career was derailed by injuries.

After splitting the 2024 season between the Rams and Baltimore, he re-signed with the Bills and had 16 starts last season. He didn't rule out another return to Buffalo after completing his one-year contract last season.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson (26) runs past Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis (7) after making a catch during an NFL football game in Las Vegas, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (87) makes a catch in front of Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (22) during an NFL football game in Las Vegas, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/David Becker)