At least seven people have died and dozens more were hurt in a large fire near the Canadian military base at Wainwright in Alberta. Defence minister David McGuinty announced the blaze.
The minister did not give exact numbers of dead and injured. Footage from the scene shows ambulances taking many injured people to the local hospital.
A military source said a gas pipeline or gas well was hit during a live-fire exercise. Wainwright is Canada's main base for such drills. It usually has about 690 military staff and about 300 civilian workers.
McGuinty described the situation: "The situation is very, very dynamic and delicate. It is still developing on the ground." He promised: "We will keep people informed as soon as we have details."
The Canadian armed forces and local authorities are trying to bring the fire under control. The cause is under investigation.
The fire broke out a day before Alberta's referendum on starting a possible split from Canada.