Fifth soldier dies after CFB Wainwright fire

A fifth soldier has died of injuries suffered in the Oct. 17 fire at CFB Wainwright in Alberta, the Canadian Armed Forces said Saturday.

Pte. William Douglas Dal Bianco of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (3 PPCLI), died Friday in an Ontario hospital, according to a news release from the Department of National Defence. He had been among the injured soldiers moved to hospitals outside Alberta to be closer to family, the military reported earlier this month.

“We are heartbroken by the loss of Private William Douglas Dal Bianco,” Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan said. “We will honour his dedicated service and continue to stand with all those affected by this tragedy along the difficult road ahead.”

Lt.-Gen. Michael Wright, commander of the Canadian Army, said the army “will remember William’s dedicated and honourable service” and stands with his family, friends and colleagues.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a social media post that Dal Bianco and the others caught in the fire were training to defend Canada. “That is service. Now, we serve them,” he wrote. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she was heartbroken by the news, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Canada “will not forget him.”

The military said that as of Saturday, 43 members caught in the fire have been counted as injured. Five of them have now died, 24 remain in hospital and 14 have been released. The first reports after the fire put the toll at four dead and 39 injured. Canada News Media reported the names of the first four soldiers killed on Oct. 19.

Three of the soldiers moved out of province are being treated at the Ross Tilley Burn Centre at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, CBC News reported. Two are receiving around-the-clock care and a third is an outpatient. As of earlier this week, 21 soldiers were still in Alberta facilities, with 15 on ventilators and nine in critical condition, according to Acute Care Alberta. We reported on the 15 soldiers on ventilators on Nov. 9.

The fire broke out during afternoon live-fire training about 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton. Military officials have said it began on an automatic grenade launcher range, in a permanent danger area that base firefighters could not enter because of possible unexploded ordnance. A sudden change in wind speed and direction then drove the flames toward an administrative area. Environment and Climate Change Canada had issued weather warnings for parts of Alberta that day. Officials said the fire began on the grenade range, and Carignan has said the speed of the fire was the main factor in the deaths. Investigators have said it could be weeks before they can say how it started.

The death comes days after Remembrance Day services across the country honoured the fallen, including a packed arena in Wainwright that remembered four soldiers. The tally from that day is now one higher. The fire has also prompted a national debate over reserve pay, which we covered in a report on the pay gap for reservists.

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This report is based on reporting by CBC News and CP24, first published Nov. 14, 2026.