Deadly fire at Canada military base moved a kilometre 'in 30 to 60 seconds'

A fire that killed four members of the Canadian military and injured dozens of others on Saturday spread with alarming speed, accounts suggest.

It broke out in a grassy training area at a base in the province of Alberta and spread rapidly due to strong winds.

"The fire was 1km (0.6 miles) away when the wind shifted," said Maj-Gen Wade Rutland, commander of the 1st Canadian Division of the Canadian Armed Forces. "It is not normal for a fire to move a kilometre in 30 to 60 seconds."

Prime Minister Mark Carney described it as "one of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime". Officials have ruled out the possibility of "any terrorist activity".

Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Carney said the fire was "driven by ferocious winds".

"The fire jumped nearly a kilometre less than a minute to where the soldiers were gathered," he said, adding that the cause of the fire was not yet known.

Carney said the injuries occurred "in the space of a few minutes".

Source: BBC News World RSS (Open Press / Full Text)