CFB Wainwright fire: Family waits as reservist Sean Hiatt faces months of burn recovery
Cpl. Sean Hiatt, 24, of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment suffered second-degree burns across roughly half his body and remains in critical condition at University of Alberta hospital.
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Kelly Patterson was finishing dinner Saturday when the call came. Her youngest son had just been named defensive MVP in his football game, eager to send photos of his new green army helmet to his uncle, Cpl. Sean Hiatt, 24, a reservist with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment training for an upcoming deployment to Latvia.
The call came from Patterson's sister: had she heard from Sean or their parents? Hiatt had been injured at the military base during a brush fire that killed four Canadian soldiers and hospitalized 39 others.
Hiatt is one of 13 soldiers remaining in critical condition. He suffered second-degree burns covering roughly half of his body and is in the ICU at University of Alberta hospital. By Wednesday, 12 hospitalized soldiers had been discharged, but the first 72 hours are critical. Plans were underway to move Hiatt to the operating room and gradually reduce his heavy sedation. By Tuesday night, though still intubated, he was able to communicate with his brother and nephew.
The family's world shifted overnight. Hiatt's parents, en route to a "long overdue" vacation in Tofino, B.C., took an expensive flight back to Edmonton and have barely left the hospital since. Patterson, the oldest of Hiatt's 12 siblings and his godmother, watched her two older sons — close friends with Hiatt — grapple with the news. Her daughter is struggling deeply. Hiatt had lived with Patterson's family in St. Albert and visited whenever in town for military work; the brothers stay close on video game calls.
Social media has flooded with support following family posts. A nurse who treated Hiatt in Wainwright noted his politeness despite the trauma: "I lost track of how many times Sean thanked me, no matter if it was a painful IV, medication or cooling burns."
The emergency response to the Saturday fire deployed 30 emergency units — 22 ambulances, 6 planes and 2 helicopters — transporting the injured to Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer hospitals. The road ahead is long.
The facts
What injuries did Cpl. Sean Hiatt sustain in the CFB Wainwright fire?
Cpl. Sean Hiatt suffered second-degree burns covering roughly half of his body and remains in critical condition in the ICU at University of Alberta hospital.
How many soldiers were killed and hospitalized in the CFB Wainwright brush fire?
The brush fire at CFB Wainwright killed four Canadian soldiers and hospitalized 39 others, with 13 soldiers remaining in critical condition as of the article's reporting.
What military unit does Cpl. Sean Hiatt serve with?
Cpl. Sean Hiatt is a 24-year-old reservist with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment who was training for a deployment to Latvia at the time of the fire.
