Lytton British Columbia - The Village of Lytton and the Thompson Nicola Regional District are taking rail companies and the federal government to court two years after the village was destroyed by a wildfire.
 
Roughly 90 percent of Lytton was razed in the wildfire that eventually covered more than 83,000 hectares in 2021.
 
The Village and the regional district claim to have covered costs for the emergency response, debris removal, and clean-up, along with the fire investigation, according to court documents.
 
They are now taking CPKC, CN, and Transport Canada to court in an attempt to recover those costs, along with further costs that may be awarded by a judge.
 
The notice of claim was filed in BC Supreme Court on 16 Jun 2023 nearly two years after the Lytton Creek wildfire was discovered on 30 Jun 2021.
 
A day earlier, the village set a new heat record for the country at 49.6 C, amid the heat dome.
 
A CP train passed through the village the next day on CN according to the claim.
 
The fire was reported near the railway just 18 minutes after the train passed, quickly spreading into the village.
 
Not only did the fire destroy buildings and infrastructure, but two people died in the fire as they sought refuge in an unused septic hole.
 
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada concluded there was no evidence of a link between the wildfire and the passing train, according to news release in October 2021.
 
However, the village and the regional district claim Transport Canada should have ordered both rail companies to cease their operations through Lytton due to the extreme wildfire risk at the time.
 
According to court documents, the village and regional district claim it was the negligence of both Transport Canada and the rail companies that caused the fire.
 
None of their claims have been proven in court and none of the three defendants have filed a response.
 
There is also a proposed class action lawsuit by the residents of Lytton against the train companies.
 
Author unknown.