The base where Canadian soldiers died in training area blaze used by UK forces too

The Canadian military base where a fatal fire broke out during an infantry training exercise has been used by British forces in the past.

While BATUS – British Army Training Unit Suffield – is the largest base used by the British Army on a regular basis in the country, UK soldiers have also trained at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright.

In Saturday's incident, four Canadian soldiers died, including one reservist, and 39 others were injured when a rapidly spreading grass fire engulfed them during a live-fire training exercise.

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UK grieves with Canada

Local media suggested a munition may have ignited the grass, after which a sudden change in wind direction rapidly fanned the fire towards the soldiers.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting paid tribute to Sergeant Morgan Wong, from the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, a reserve unit, and Private Shaun Farrell, Private Aidan Goulding and Private Hayden Lykkemark, all of whom served in 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.

He posted on X: "My deepest condolences to all those mourning the Canadian armed forces personnel who tragically lost their lives at the base in Wainwright – and with those who have suffered injuries during this terrible incident.

"To our Canadian friends – we stand with you and grieve with you."

The Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, also posted: "The thoughts of the entire UK Armed Forces are with our Canadian allies at this incredibly difficult time.

"We stand with you today – as ever – as the closest of partners and friends."

Maple Resolve

Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, located in the province of Alberta, has hosted an international exercise called Maple Resolve for several years, often including British forces.

Maple Resolve was the Canadian army's largest and most complex training exercise and was designed to ensure its soldiers were prepared to deploy in support of Canadians in any capacity, including combat operations – along with their allies.

During the 2023 iteration of the exercise, the key aim was to practise interoperability with international partners.

Approximately 400 soldiers from the United States and United Kingdom took part.

However, 2023 marked the final year of the traditional Maple Resolve, as the Canadian army reformed the way it trains its forces for deployment to Europe.

Starting in 2024, training that used to take place during the brigade-level exercises and Exercise Maple Resole now happen in two phases.

The first phase takes place at or near the deploying unit's home base, while the second phase, Exercise Oak Resolve, is conducted alongside Nato allies in Latvia.

This Canadian armed forces said the new approach means soldiers spend less time away from home, easing the strain on them and their families before their deployment on Operation Reassurance.

Op Reassurance is a long‑term Canadian armed forces mission launched in 2014 in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea.

Around 3,000 troops are deployed in Latvia, the North Atlantic and Baltic regions.

BATUS

British Army Training Unit Suffield is a British Army training establishment based at Canadian Forces Base Suffield in southeastern Alberta, near the city of Medicine Hat.

It has been one of the British Army's most important overseas training facilities since 1972.

BATUS provides the vast open terrain needed for large-scale armoured warfare exercises that are difficult to replicate in the UK.

It's used to deliver some of the most complex and testing training exercises that British soldiers undertake – and it's not confined to armoured warfare.

In 2023, for example, there were 17 training villages on the Suffield Military Training Area with more than 803 assets such as shipping containers, fence lines and trenches.