LYTTON, British Columbia — The village of Lytton and its local regional district have filed suit against Canadian National, CPKC, and Transport Canada over a 2021 fire that destroyed the village, accusing the railroads and the government agency of negligence.
The CBC reports the suit was filed by Lytton and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District in B.C. Supreme Court on June 16 regarding the June 30, 2021, fire that killed two people and saw more than 90% of the community burned. It says the railroads were negligent for continuing to operate despite extreme fire danger and existing wildfires in the area, and that a Canadian Pacific train operated by CN crews caused the fire. The two railroads operate paired trackage through the area. Transport Canada was negligent, it says, for not ordering the railroads to stop operations that day.
The fire led Transport Canada to impose new operating rules to address fire risks [see “Canada announces fire-prevention rules …,” Trains News Wire, July 6, 2022] although the Transportation Safety Board of Canada ultimately said it was unable to prove a train caused the fire [see “TSB finds no evidence …,” News Wire, Oct. 14, 2021] although the fire began within 5 feet of the rail line.
The cause of the fire has never been conclusively determined. The suit says a train had passed 18 minutes before the fire was reported, and residents believe sparks from a locomotive ignited the blaze, the CBC reports. Residents have filed a class-action suit against the two railroads.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada says fire damage is about C$102 million.
A CPKC representative told the CBC said the company would not comment on the suit.
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