Lytton British Columbia - An investigation by the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has found no link between railway operations and the fire that destroyed Lytton on 30 Jun 2021.
 
The wildfire remains under investigation by the B.C. Wildfire Service, according to a TSB report released Thursday morning.
 
The RCMP is also conducting a "preliminary inquiry to determine the need for a parallel criminal investigation."
 
In its report, the TSB noted that a westbound CP coal train was the last train to pass through Lytton prior to the first report of fire.
 
It passed the area where the fire is suspected to have started at about 16:30, about 18 minutes before the first report, travelling about 40 kph with "low to moderate throttle to maintain speed."
 
The TSB launched its investigation "in light of the presence of rolling stock in the immediate vicinity of the fire within minutes of the fire first being reported."
 
A TSB investigator was deployed to Lytton on 9 Jul 2021.
 
In addition to interviewing rail employees, the TSB confirmed no rail grinding activities or track work had taken place in the area on the day of the fire or in the days before.
 
The TSB also inspected the CP train, looking for signs of "hot bearings, burnt brake heads, built-up tread, and other potential fire-creating causes."
 
No anomalies were noted.
 
An earlier investigation conducted by Transport Canada at the request of the RCMP came to the same conclusion.
 

Looking east from the north edge of the CN line near Lytton. The TSB said the B.C. Wildfire Service suspected the fire that destroyed the village started around this area - Date? Photographers? - TSB.

The TSB report noted that the B.C. Wildfire Service found a "black, carbonaceous coal-like substance" near the train tracks.
 
The substance was tested at a lab and compared to samples taken from a train's exhaust stack.
 
The samples did not match.
 
The TSB also reviewed video from the train's event recorders.
 
The fire that destroyed Lytton on 30 Jun 2021 started after several days of record-setting heat.
 
Two people were killed and only a few buildings were left standing after the blaze.
 
The Insurance Bureau of Canada estimated the fire caused about $78 million in insured damage.
 
A proposed class-action lawsuit filed in B.C. Supreme Court in August alleges the CP or CN railways caused or contributed to the wildfire.
 
Neither company has filed a statement of defence in the case.
 
None of the allegations have been tested in court.
 
CN issued a statement on 6 Jul 2021 saying it had investigated video footage posted on social media suggesting a train had caused the Lytton fire.
 
"After examining the evidence, CN has concluded the video does not show a train in or near Lytton at the time of the fire in the village. In fact, the video shows a train 45 kilometres south of Lytton, and the smoke seen in the video comes from a different fire that was already burning."
 
CP has declined to comment on the civil claim, but has noted previous statements saying the fire remains under investigation and any conclusions or speculation about its cause or contributing factors are premature.
 
The company said in July that it inspected all CP trains that travelled through Lytton during the relevant time period on 30 Jun 2021 and based on its review, which included video footage, it found "nothing to indicate that any of CP's trains or equipment that passed through Lytton caused or contributed to the fire."
 
Author unknown.