Four soldiers dead, 25 hospitalized after CFB Wainwright grass fire, as B.C. soldier's funeral is held in Vancouver

The funeral for Pte. Aidan Goulding, 23, was held Sunday at the Seaforth Armoury in Vancouver. Goulding was one of four Canadian Armed Forces members killed when a grass fire overtook a live-fire exercise on a nearby grenade range at CFB Wainwright, Alberta, on Oct. 17. Goulding was a member of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.

The Board of Inquiry into the fire could take some time, and Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan has committed to making its report public. As of Nov. 4, a number of soldiers remained in hospital, four of them flown to burn centres in British Columbia and Ontario.

The other three soldiers who died were Pte. Shaun Farrell, 23, of Prince Albert, Sask.; Pte. Hayden Lykkemark of Langley; and Sgt. Morgan Wong of Edmonton.

Goulding's mother, Sonia Monk, told reporters she feels "like I'm driving with one headlight." At the service, she said he "was the happiest I had ever seen him. It gave him a sense of purpose, family and where he truly felt home." Retired Capt. Gerard Barabash, who officiated, said those who serve in military and emergency roles "have acknowledged and accepted that the cost of defending the greater good can include exposure to great dangers." Goulding's brother, Wylder, described him as "my best friend, my worst enemy, my harshest critic and my fiercest competitor."

Military officials have said the fire moved one kilometre in under a minute after a wind shift, and that it had been burning on the range for hours before training began. A wildfire researcher quoted by CTV News questioned why training went ahead in forecast winds. A separate National Investigation Service probe is running alongside the Board of Inquiry.