Investigators haven't found evidence linking train activity to Lytton fire, TSB says

Investigators have not found any evidence thattrains running near the village of Lytton, B.C., wereresponsible for the catastrophic fire that engulfed the community and killed two people in June, the Transportation Safety Board said Thursday.

The findingscounter residents' allegations that passing trains with CN or CP rail started the fire. Locals have said they believedsparks flying from the railway likelyignited bone-dry terrain,made prone to fire by anextreme heat wave that week.

The board saidits team didn't find a connection despite threemonths of "significant investigative work," though it confirmed that work did not include any direct interviews with residents.

"We have found no evidence to conclude that the Lytton fire was started by railway activities in the area," TSB chair Kathy Fox said during a news conference Thursday.

The agency said unless new information comes forward, it has no need to investigate further and it won't publish a report on the fire.

Hundreds of people living in and around the village of Lytton,perchedin the Fraser Canyon mountain range northeast of Vancouver, were forced to leave with little notice on June 30as the fire raced through the community.

They fled as smoke and flames, spreadbyextreme wind, consumed the village in one of the most destructive fires in recent B.C. history. Two people died.

WATCH | Residents speculated in July a train caused the fire:

Speculation continues that Lytton, B.C., fire was caused by a train

3 years ago

Duration 2:48

Some living near Lytton believe the fire was caused by a burning train seen near the B.C. village the afternoon of the fire. They say not enough is being done to keep vegetation and local communities safe.

Fire started steps from CN Rail line

The fire started "within five feet" or less than two metres fromthe centre of CN Rail track west of the village core, according to the TSB.

Awestbound CP coal train run by CN crews was the last train to pass through the area, 18 minutes before the first reports of flames.

The board's summary, released Thursday, said investigators confirmed with both CN and CP railways thatthere had been no rail grinding activities on the track. The teamfound no signs of hot bearings, burned brakes or other potential fire-creating problems in the train.

It said asimulation to testthe train as though it were fully loadeddidn't find any "sparking."

The village had endured three days of extreme temperatures in the days before the fire, hitting a high 49.6 C as a heat wave baked Western Canada. The earth and vegetation in town was parched and vulnerable to the fire, locals said.

The majority of buildings in town were reduced to ash. Residents and families who toured the aftermath by busin July saw only scorched frames remainingof their cars and homes, if there was anything left to see at all.

Residents were not interviewed

Carmichael confirmed the TSB team "did not have any direct interviews with any resident of Lytton,"despite it being largely residents who've claimed they sawflames and smoke firsthand in the village area before the fire.

Fox said the team instead interviewed railway staff and gathered "information from other agencies" for the investigation.

WATCH | Extensive damage all that remains in Lytton:

Lytton, B.C., residents return to witness aftermath of wildfire

3 years ago

Duration 1:42

A bus tour for evacuees who fled Lytton, B.C., during a June 30 wildfire revealed the extensive damage the fire caused to the village and the surrounding area.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District and theLytton First Nation have both said they believe a train was responsible for the fire.

One resident filed a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in August on behalf of those who lost their homes or businesses in the village, claiming thefire was caused by heat orsparksfrom a train. The lawyer on the casesaid weather conditions, the train schedule, eyewitness accounts and the burn pattern near the rail tracks all lead them to believe the fire was caused by trains.

The allegations in the lawsuit have not been proven in court and neither rail company hasfiled a statement of defence.

In July,Canadian Pacific Railway said in a statementit found nothing to indicate that any of its trains or equipment that passed throughLyttoncaused or contributed to the fire. Canadian National said video footage posted on social media after the fire was not connected to the village.

More than 100 days after the fire, residents have lamented sluggish recovery efforts and hazycommunication from local governments responsible for rebuilding the village. Nearly 800 residents registered with B.C. Emergency Support Services in the aftermath, in addition to nearly another 500 people from the Lytton First Nation.

The TSB said it would reopen its investigation if "compelling" new evidence comesforward, but would not elaborate on what kind of evidence would meet that bar.

The BC Wildfire Service is still continuing its own investigation. The RCMPisalso workingto determine whether any criminal activity led to the fire, but said Thursday it couldn't estimate how much longer that investigation will take.