Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
National

Mounties say there's no evidence Lytton wildfire was arson, cause unknown

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 11 Sep, 2024 04:38 PM
  • Mounties say there's no evidence Lytton wildfire was arson, cause unknown

Mounties in British Columbia say there's no evidence that the devastating fire that swept through the community of Lytton more than three years ago was arson. 

Police have concluded their investigation into the June 2021 wildfire, saying they can't pinpoint the cause of the blaze that killed two people and wiped out much of the village and part of the First Nation, a day after a Canadian temperature record of 49.6 C was set in Lytton.

A statement from the RCMP says there is "no evidence to suggest the fire was intentionally set by the actions, or inactions, of any individual(s)" and the criminal investigation "has not determined the cause of the fire."

Police say they reviewed the weather conditions around the time, exhaustively searched two "areas of interest" where the fire may have started and interviewed 168 witnesses.

They say investigators collected evidence including 400 videos and photos and reviewed parallel investigations by the BC Coroners Service, BC Wildfire Service, and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

RCMP Chief Supt. Brad Haugli says in the statement that the focus of the investigation was on the how and why the fire started.

"While we have no single source or cause that can account for the devastating fire, it was not due to a lack of effort. Significant work was done to not only look at establishing and confirming what did happen, but to eliminate what didn’t happen," he said.

"We remain committed to the community and the important need to support all those impacted, while we also join in the collective efforts to rebuild."

Police say the findings have been shared with the Village of Lytton, the Lytton First Nation and the families of those who died.

They said the work investigating the Lytton fire will help the RCMP should it be required to investigate similar events in the future. 

MORE National ARTICLES

Sudden death of a man in Vancouver

Sudden death of a man in Vancouver
Police in Vancouver are asking for the public's help to identify two men who they say might have information about the sudden death of another man. They say the 35-year-old man was found dead in his apartment in the city's West End neighbourhood on May 30th.

Sudden death of a man in Vancouver

Targeted shooting in Kamloops

Targeted shooting in Kamloops
Kamloops R-C-M-P say a 40-year-old man known to police has suffered serious, but non-life-threatening injuries after a targeted shooting that officers believe to be gang-related. Police say it happened last night in the 170 block of Tranquille Road.

Targeted shooting in Kamloops

48 year old Inderjit Singh Sandhu sentenced to life in imprisonment for killing wife Kamaljit Sandhu

48 year old Inderjit Singh Sandhu sentenced to life in imprisonment for killing wife Kamaljit Sandhu
Police say a 48-year-old Abbotsford man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole eligibility for 13 years for murdering his wife. Inderjit Singh Sandhu pleaded guilty in April to second-degree murder in connection with the July 2022 homicide in the Fraser Valley city.

48 year old Inderjit Singh Sandhu sentenced to life in imprisonment for killing wife Kamaljit Sandhu

Environment Canada issues multiple warnings as B.C. braces for weekend heat

Environment Canada issues multiple warnings as B.C. braces for weekend heat
The six warnings span Vancouver Island, where they will be in effect from Friday until early next week, and the North Coast including Kitimat and Terrace, where the warnings will be in place from Saturday until Tuesday night.

Environment Canada issues multiple warnings as B.C. braces for weekend heat

B.C. seniors advocate seeks tenancy protection for residents of retirement homes

B.C. seniors advocate seeks tenancy protection for residents of retirement homes
British Columbia's seniors advocate is calling for the enforcement of tenancy laws to protect residents of retirement homes who he says face illegal rent increases and evictions. Dan Levitt says in a new report that some retirement homes claim the Residential Tenancy Act does not apply to their residents, or to mandatory fees for services including meals and housekeeping.

B.C. seniors advocate seeks tenancy protection for residents of retirement homes

Border workers who nearly went on strike in June ratify new contract

Border workers who nearly went on strike in June ratify new contract
The union representing Canada's border workers says members have voted 91 per cent in favour of a new collective agreement. More than 9,000 Canada Border Services Agency workers were planning job action in June but the strike was averted when a tentative agreement was reached with the federal government.

Border workers who nearly went on strike in June ratify new contract