Transportation Safety Board finds no link between train activity and fire that destroyed Lytton

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has concluded its investigation into the fire that destroyed the village of Lytton, saying it has found no connection between train activity and the fire’s start.

The fire was first reported at 4:48 p.m. on June 30 and quickly ripped through the village. It resulted in the deaths of two residents and an estimated $77 million in damage. Most of the structures in the community were completely destroyed.

The TSB assigned an investigator to the file on July 9, as the fire began near the CN Rail tracks that pass through the village. Investigator James Carmichael detailed his findings in a news release issued Thursday (Oct. 14).

Suspected origin site of Lytton wildfire (Image Credit: TSB)

Carmichael notes the last train to pass through on the CN track before the fire was reported was C73152-29, a CP train that went through about 18 minutes prior to the fire’s discovery.

The TSB inspected the train “for evidence of hot bearings, burnt brake heads, built-up tread,” finding nothing of note. Carmichael also noted load testing of the train found no sparking created.

Freeze from forward-facing video of lead locomotive on C73152-29 (Image Credit: TSB)

Inspectors did a material analysis of a “black, carbonaceous substance” identified as a potential ignition source, but found “little in common” with samples gathered from a locomotive exhaust stack.

And while the TSB looked for satellite imagery of the area at the time between C73152-29’s pass-through and the fire’s discovery, it found no imagery available.

Freeze of forward-facing video from the lead locomotive on C73152-29 looking west as the train approaches the crossing at Mile 98.14 (Image Credit: TSB)

Thus, Carmichael says no link between rail activity and the fire was identified.

The B.C. Wildfire Service and the RCMP are continuing a probe into the fire’s cause.