Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Sunday that 39 people were hospitalized, including at least 19 in critical condition, after a deadly fire at a Canadian military base. Smith said the patients were transferred from Canadian Forces Base Wainwright to four hospitals in Alberta. He said some suffered severe burns and could face weeks or months of intensive treatment. Prime Minister Mark Carney previously confirmed that four service members died in the fire, which broke out Saturday during military training, and described it as one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada’s military on home soil. Fire crews scrambled Saturday night as strong winds whipped flames past Canadian Forces Base Wainwright and into the surrounding rural area. The Canadian military said Sunday there was no indication the incident was the result of terrorism, but the cause remained under investigation. In a televised address, Carney said the families of those killed had been notified and the situation was still evolving. Carney said the dead and wounded service members were participating in military training when the fire broke out Saturday. Read moreEU and Canada seek closer ties: Will Canada become the first associate member of the EU? Flags would fly at half-staff at federal buildings across the country in honor of those affected by the tragedy, he said. Carney said those affected included reservists and soldiers from Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, one of Canada’s most historic military regiments. Personnel had come from bases around the country to train at Wainwright. It was not immediately clear exactly how many people had been injured. Alberta health officials said Wainwright patients had been transferred to four hospitals: two in Edmonton, one in Red Deer and one in Calgary. Cathy Keane, an Ontario mayoral candidate, said her oldest son was among the seriously injured military personnel. “As a mother, I now need to be with my son and family,” she wrote on Facebook, saying she was traveling to Alberta. A doctor at a hospital in the city of Edmonton, 180 kilometers (112 miles) to the northwest, told Canada’s national broadcaster that patients were taken to hospitals across the city while health care facilities around the base were “completely overwhelmed” by the number of people needing care. “This number of patients would overwhelm the city of Edmonton,” Dr. Warren Thirsk, an emergency department physician at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, told CBC News. “That’s more patients than any of us care to count right now. It’s a disaster. It’s one in every disaster for 15 to 25 years.” Alberta health officials said Sunday they had ended the emergency “Code Orange” activated at several hospitals after the fire. The designation allows hospitals to mobilize staff and free up beds to care for large numbers of seriously injured patients. Read moreQuebec votes as separatist surge poses test for Canada’s prime minister The province said the response involved 22 ground ambulances, six planes and two helicopters, with assistance from neighboring Saskatchewan. Wainwright Mayor Bruce Pugh said the town’s small hospital was not designed to handle a mass casualty incident, but praised the response of local medical staff. He said helicopters and planes had been transporting patients to other facilities for treatment. Pugh said military medical personnel parachuted into Wainwright shortly before midnight, their red parachutes illuminated by flares, as reinforcements arrived to help respond to the disaster. At least 10 ambulances were parked in and around Wainwright Health Center on Saturday night as paramedics and soldiers rushed by. A patient was seen being loaded into an ambulance. The town of Wainwright, near the base, has about 7,000 residents. Defense Minister David McGuinty said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was involved in the investigation into the incident and described the situation as “very, very active and sensitive.” He said authorities were still working to determine what happened and hoped to provide more information. McGuinty said Sunday he would travel to Edmonton to be briefed on the latest developments. He said the military was working closely with the Alberta government and local authorities. The Canadian Armed Forces had said it would not release casualty figures until next of kin were notified. Carney said Sunday that the families of the four service members killed had been informed. Read moreMacron and Carney hail a new chapter in ties between France and Canada in a symbolic meeting in the archipelago The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said officers were called shortly after 4 p.m. on Saturday following reports of a fire in a training area at the base. Firefighters faced a volatile situation. Large areas of the province were hit during the day by a wind storm with gusts of up to 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph). The wind knocked down some trees and sent signs flying and trash cans rolling through the streets. As of 11 p.m., the Wainwright Municipal District said on social media that the fire was being controlled and property and critical infrastructure were protected. There was no evacuation order for residents. McGuinty, speaking to reporters in Ottawa, confirmed the casualties but had no other details to share. “I can’t remember an incident like this in my short time as a minister, but I can’t remember an incident like this in recent memory,” McGuinty said. “We will have more to say in the coming hours and days,” he added. He said members of the Armed Forces were at the scene and the RCMP were also involved. “This is an active and sensitive situation and will soon be an active and sensitive investigation.” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said his province was sending assistance to Alberta, but did not specify what resources were being deployed. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith described the fire as “significant and tragic” and said it was affecting many military personnel. He said Alberta had convened its cabinet committee on emergency management to coordinate the response. Carney praised emergency crews who battled the fire overnight and said STARS air ambulance helicopters had arrived from Edmonton and Saskatoon. CFB Wainwright is one of Canada’s busiest military training bases, where soldiers prepare for combat operations. It is home to the Canadian Maneuver Training Centre, which conducts realistic battlefield exercises, and the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre, which provides military training. Canadian Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre said he had spoken with Carney and the defense minister to offer support to those affected by the fire. “Everyone pray for Wainwright,” Poilievre said in a social media post. He urged people in the area to follow emergency instructions and keep roads clear for first responders. The fire also disrupted early voting ahead of Monday’s referendum on whether Alberta should begin a process that could lead to independence from Canada. Elections Alberta said the early voting location at the Wainwright Communiplex closed early Saturday and ballots and election materials were transported safely. He identified polling places in Lloydminster and Vermilion as alternatives. (FRANCE 24 with AP)