Lawsuit blames Lytton fire on railways

A proposed class-action lawsuit alleges Canadian Pacific and Canadian National railways caused or contributed to the wildfire that destroyed the Village of Lytton, B.C.

The B.C. Supreme Court statement of claim filed Wednesday alleges the fire was set off by heat or sparks emanating from a CP freight train operated by CN employees on tracks owned by Canadian National.

It says the fire started at about 4:15 p.m. on June 30, where the CN bridge crosses the Fraser River, and winds of up to 70 km/h carried the flames into Lytton, burning the town in less than two hours.

With temperatures nearing 50 C, the lawsuit alleges the railway companies should have known conditions were unsafe to operate and that they failed to protect the town.

“The Province of British Columbia notified the defendants of extreme risk of wildfires,” the lawsuit says.

The RCMP, BC Wildfire Service and Transportation Safety Board are still investigating the cause of the fire.

The safety board said in July that it sent rail investigators to the scene after receiving new information about the fire from the Mounties and the wildfire service.

The lawsuit says the fire wasn't caused by a nearby forest fire or lightning strike.

When asked for a response to the lawsuit, CN said only that it had received the action and that an investigation into the cause of the Lytton wildfire remains ongoing.

Canadian Pacific Rail didn't return a request for comment.