11.27°C Vancouver

Sep 12, 2024 6:26 PM - The Canadian Press

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

Share On
mounties-say-theres-no-evidence-lytton-b-c-wildfire-was-arson-cause-unknown
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.(Photo: The Canadian Press)

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.

Latest news

CanadaOct 30, 2025

Surrey Renames Park After Community Raises Concerns Over Historical Injustices

The City of Surrey has renamed a neighbourhood park following concerns from residents of Japanese descent about its historical namesake. Senator Reid Park, located in the city’s north end, will now be known as North Ridge Park. The change follows a review prompted by community feedback highlighting Senator Thomas Reid’s role in supporting discriminatory policies against Japanese Canadians before, during and after the Second World War. City officials said the park, originally named in the 1990s, no longer reflects Surrey’s values of inclusivity and respect. Laurie Cavan, general manager o
b-c-seeks-court-stay-in-cowichan-tribes-aboriginal-title-case-amid-concerns-from-richmond-residents
BCOct 30, 2025

B.C. seeks court stay in Cowichan Tribes Aboriginal title case amid concerns from Richmond residents

Premier David Eby says the British Columbia government will ask the courts to delay implementation of a ruling that recognized Aboriginal title for the Cowichan Tribes over land in Richmond. The province is requesting a stay while the B.C. Court of Appeal reviews the landmark decision, which has raised questions about its impact on private land ownership. In August, the B.C. Supreme Court declared that the Cowichan Tribes hold Aboriginal title to about 750 acres along the Fraser River. The court found that Crown grants of private titles on that land were an unjustified infringement of Cowichan
police-investigate-shots-fired-at-surrey-business
CanadaOct 29, 2025

Police probe overnight shooting that damaged Surrey business

Police in Surrey are investigating after gunfire caused property damage to a business in the city’s South Surrey area earlier this week. Surrey Police Service (SPS) and the RCMP Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit (SPOSU) say the incident was reported around 11:35 a.m. on October 28. Officers were called to a business in the 15200 block of Croydon Drive, where they confirmed that the building’s exterior had been struck by bullets. Investigators believe the shooting took place sometime between 8:30 p.m. on October 27 and 8:30 a.m. the next morning. No one was inside the business at th
drug-related-offences-rise-nationally-for-first-time-in-12-years-statcan
CanadaOct 29, 2025

Drug-related offences rise nationally for first time in 12 years – StatCan

Statistics Canada says the country’s rate of police-reported drug crime has increased for the first time in more than a decade, marking a 13 per cent jump between 2023 and 2024. The new data shows the rise was driven by higher numbers of possession and trafficking charges involving cannabis, cocaine and opioids other than heroin. Despite the recent uptick, the national rate remains well below its historical peak. The 2024 figure stood at 128 incidents per 100,000 people – down 61 per cent from a high of 330 in 2011. The Northwest Territories recorded the highest rate of drug crime last yea
bc-government-calls-emergency-meeting-with-federal-ministers
BCOct 29, 2025

BC government calls emergency meeting with federal ministers

The BC government is calling an emergency meeting with federal ministers in Vancouver next week, also known as the Forestry Sector Summit, in light of the trade dispute with the US and the recent increase in tariffs on softwood, with Forestry Minister Ravi Parmar inviting federal ministers Dominique LeBlanc and Melanie Joly to attend. The BC government intends to seek financial assistance from the federal government to help the struggling forestry sector and combat the tariffs. Parmar said that forestry for us in BC is like the auto sector and the steel sector, which the government should a

Related News