A fire that killed at least four soldiers and left 19 people in critical condition began with a smoldering grass fire that ‌ignited in an Alberta military base's training area where ‌personnel were drilling, Canadian officials said on Sunday. 

Officials said 39 ‌people were hospitalized as a result of the fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, ‌which began around 4 p.m. MDT (2200 GMT) on Saturday. Flames were fed by winds of up to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour). 

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that the fire was one of the worst peacetime tragedies ever for Canada's armed forces on ‌home soil.