Military confirms origin of deadly Wainwright fire as questions remain about safety decisions

The Canadian military has now confirmed the deadly fire at CFB Wainwright started during a live fire training exercise on an automatic grenade launcher range. But investigators are also looking at why soldiers continued training when a grass fire was already burning nearby. Four soldiers died in Saturday's tragedy and 27 others remain hospitalized in serious condition. What exactly ignited the fire and what happened in that crucial time that followed remain under investigation. The fire initially remained within the permanent danger area 2 of the range, which restricted the firefighters' ability to conduct direct suppressive operations. It was therefore monitored throughout the day by both range control and the base fire hall. Officials say unusually strong winds pushed that fire toward another range where soldiers were training in pairs. The flames crossed a fire guard and overtook their position. The military has already acknowledged knowing about the grass fire and initially deciding it wasn't a threat. Canadians and families are rightly asking how that assessment was reached, what information it was based on and whether different decisions should have been made. Those are amongst the central questions the investigation must answer. All soldiers on that pair's range were injured. Thirteen remain in hospital in critical condition. And the demands of treating so many severely injured soldiers have prompted reinforcements from Ontario. Nineteen specialized intensive care nurses and five operating room nurses have been brought in to help Alberta's medical teams. We are coping right now to be able to provide the care that is needed. but this is a marathon and not a sprint. Military police are investigating alongside a separate board of inquiry that will examine the decisions, safety procedures and circumstances surrounding the fire. The military says there is no set timeline for answers. Lindsay Warner, CBC News, Edmonton.