VANCOUVER — A British Columbia Supreme Court judge says a class-action lawsuit against Canadian Pacific and Canadian National railways can move ahead after a catastrophic fire in June 2021 burned most of the community of Lytton, B.C.

The ruling released Tuesday from Justice Ward Branch says there's "some basis in fact" to support the plaintiffs' allegations that the "horrific fire" was caused by railway operations, where CN and CP have parallel tracks that run through the town.

It says several lawsuits were filed after the fire, including by individuals and First Nations, and a "competing" class-action was denied certification in 2023.

The representative plaintiff in the certified action is Carel Moiseiwitsch, whose home in Lytton was destroyed by the fire, along with the assets of her

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