Two law firms are joining their efforts to recover compensation for victims of the 2021 wildfire that devastated the town of Lytton, BC.
According to a press release, CFM Lawyers LLP and Slater Vecchio LLP announced in court last week that they would be partnering to prosecute the case against CN Rail and CP Rail.
Lytton, a small village located in the BC Interior, was destroyed by a wildfire on June 30, 2021, during a record-breaking heat wave.
Those temperatures served as the perfect storm for the devastating wildfires that destroyed nearly 90% of the town. Over 500 buildings were destroyed and two people died.
“The fire began beside the railroad tracks just minutes after the passage of a CP Rail train loaded with coal,” reads a joint statement from the law firms.
In 2021, an investigation by the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) found no link between railway operations and the wildfire.
In 2024, the RCMP concluded its investigation into the fire, stating no evidence arson was involved.
The press release states that residents of Lytton continue to be impacted by the fire as they struggle to rebuild.
The law firms say that collaborating on the class actions will “aim to recover compensation for residents’ losses as quickly as possible.”
“We intend on moving with haste to restore the community, get residents back to their homes, and make the responsible parties account for the personal harm and losses of proposed class members,” stated Anthony Vecchio, senior partner at Slater Vecchio LLP, in the press release.
The law firms’ legal teams recently appeared in a Vancouver courtroom and the judge agreed to hear their application to certify the class action in October 2025.
Those wishing to learn more about the Lytton Wildfire class action can email Slater Vecchio LLP or CFM Lawyers LLP.
With files from Amir Ali