The fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright shocked our nation, the Canadian Armed Forces, and the firefighting community. It was an unprecedented tragedy that many, myself included, would consider a black swan event. It was also personally painful to me because it killed one of my friends: Sgt. Morgan Wong of The Loyal Edmonton Regiment. Three other members of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry were killed, with dozens more injured, many critically.
The speed, intensity and impact are still under investigation, but one thing is clear: You will not have enough time to react. Even those in peak physical condition with combat training can't deal with it.
Those of us in the wildfire community understand this, because we have seen it. An average grass fire can move up to 20 km/h, and faster if the conditions permit. The wind at CFB Wainwright the day of the tragedy peaked at 102 km/h. No human can escape that. The troops affected had little warning and even less time to react. Different materials can burn in a wildfire, and at CFB Wainwright, the one we were concerned about was fine fuels. Fine fuels are fast-drying, less than 6 mm in size and have a high surface area compared to their mass. Think grasses, leaves, pine needles and twigs.
As someone who has spent over 15 years fighting wildland fires, the grass fires always scared me the most. They are fast, can change direction quickly, and are easily influenced by external factors. During training at CFB Wainwright, I was always hyper-aware of conditions, and we fought grass fires from the upwind side with a person whose sole job was to monitor fire behaviour. It was a serious undertaking with serious consequences.
I was interviewed after the tragedy on October 17th by CBC Newsworld and had the privilege of talking about one of my friends, Sgt. Morgan Wong, who was killed in the fire. It was a bittersweet moment recalling such an amazing warrior and our time serving together. I talked about the challenges of getting more information about what happened. It was a hard interview because I knew the area, the people involved and the conditions they would have faced. I know all of this because I served in the same Regiment as Sgt. Morgan Wong and trained extensively with him at CFB Wainwright.
I also talked about why the conversation needs to focus on supporting the families of those killed, injured and still hospitalized. The scale of this tragedy in peacetime is the worst to impact the Canadian Armed Forces since the Korean War. I will not share the personal stories of what they are struggling with right now, but I can say the support these families need will last for the rest of their lives. I am currently fundraising for organizations focused on supporting the families. Valour Place and the Loyal Edmonton Regimental Association. Both are more than worthy and focus exclusively on supporting military members and families as they struggle with the long road to recovery.
This tragic event should be considered a wake-up call to those in Ontario as well. While it is geographically far removed from Ontario, that does not mean that it couldn’t happen here. In fact, the danger and scope of these events are only growing. One can look back at the record-breaking 2026 Ontario fire season to see we are moving into a new world. It will no longer be stories that come from BC, California, or Australia, but from places you drive to, visit, and vacation in.
I cannot stress how much the risk to Ontario and cottage country is increasing. We are entering into a new climate that will bring tremendous challenges and change. It will change how we live, work and play in Ontario. We cannot stop this, but we can adapt and prepare. And that is what I want to stress: While we cannot prevent this climatic challenge, we can take concrete steps to prepare.
The preparation and adaptation that needs to be undertaken could fill entire volumes of books. But here are some to get you started: learn about climate-driven wildfire risks; reach out to your neighbours, communities, and governments; learn practical steps you can take, such as FireSmart; reach out to your insurance companies; and, most importantly, find a provider who specializes in wildfire preparation and defence.
Humans are resilient and can work together to overcome unimaginable challenges. The coming climate-driven wildfire crisis is one that we can overcome with awareness, preparation and coordination. And this is why I am writing this.
Andrew Pearson, MB, is a retired firefighter, wildland-urban interface (WUI) expert and President of Pyrocene Consulting Inc.