A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has approved a class-action lawsuit against Canadian Pacific (CP) and Canadian National (CN) railways, potentially linking their operations to the devastating fire that ravaged Lytton in June 2021. Justice Ward Branch's ruling, issued on Tuesday, indicates there is "some basis in fact" for the claims that the railways' activities contributed to the catastrophic blaze that destroyed much of the community.

The lawsuit arises from allegations that the fire was caused by a train operating on the CN track, which is shared by both railways. Justice Branch noted that the two companies have an agreement allowing them to run trains on each other's tracks. The train involved in the incident was reportedly traveling westbound on the CN track toward the South Lytton Bridge at the time of the fire.

The class-action suit is led by representative plaintiffs Carel Moiseiwitsch and Jordan Spinks. Moiseiwitsch lost her home and her family's information technology business in the fire. She described her experience, stating she was displaced and suffered "lasting trauma" from the loss of her home, her cat, and her way of life. Spinks, a member of the Kanaka Bar Indian Band, was also displaced for several months and reported losing his job, which affected his mental health.

The class-action suit invites anyone who suffered losses due to the fire to join. This includes family members of those who died in the fire and individuals who lost property not covered by insurance. The fire resulted in the deaths of two people and nearly obliterated the town, which has yet to recover fully, with few new buildings constructed since the disaster.

In 2021, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) concluded there was no evidence linking railway operations to the fire. Vancouver lawyer Jason Gratl criticized the TSB's investigation, claiming it lacked sufficient resources. The fire occurred during a severe heat wave, with Lytton recording a Canadian record temperature of 49.6 degrees Celsius just a day before the blaze broke out. A previous attempt to certify a similar class-action lawsuit was dismissed in 2023, but this new ruling allows the case to proceed.