On June 30, 2021, a fire was sparked in the Village of Lytton. It took more than two months for the fire to be deemed under control and by then approximately 90% of Lytton and many of the surrounding communities had been destroyed.
The Lytton Creek Wildfire was as devastating as it was predictable. The history of wildfires in the area and the record-breaking temperatures recorded in the days leading up to the tragedy were clear signs that the risk of disaster was real. This could have been avoided.
Slater Vecchio LLP has retained experts to investigate the cause of the wildfire and seeks to hold the Defendants accountable for their respective failures to avert the damage caused by the Lytton Creek Wildfire.
Slater Vecchio LLP filed this class-action lawsuit on October 5, 2021. On March 3, 2022, Slater Vecchio LLP was granted permission by the Supreme Court of British Columbia to be the law firm to represent those affected by the Lytton Creek Wildfire in a proposed class action.
On August 9, 2023, the Supreme Court of British Columbia granted the plaintiff leave to amend their pleadings to meet the criteria to certify the claim as a class action.
A class action is a legal case through which one person makes a claim to the Court on behalf of a similarly situated class of people who have the same or a similar legal claim. A class action seeks to hold a defendant or defendants responsible for their conduct that affects each member of the class by resolving issues that are common to the class in the same legal proceeding, instead of each class member bringing a claim individually.
The individual who first files the claim must ask the Court for permission to proceed as a class action. If permission is granted, and the case may proceed as a class action, the Court will appoint an individual as “Representative Plaintiff” to represent the best interests of the class during the litigation and define the class group. Each person who meets the criteria of the class group is considered a “Class Member”.
This class action is brought on behalf of all individuals or their estates who suffered personal injury or death in the Lytton Creek Wildfire, all individuals who were displaced by the Lytton Creek Wildfire, all individuals or legal persons who suffered real property or personal property losses in the Lytton Creek Wildfire, and all individuals or legal persons who suffered interference or interruption of their business as a result of the Lytton Creek Wildfire. These individuals are referred to as “Class Members”. Individuals who fit any of these criteria do not need to do anything to formally become Class Members as they are automatically represented by the lawsuit.
Class Members should collect and keep any documentation of loss suffered due to the Lytton Creek Wildfire. This includes receipts of expenses incurred as a result of the fire, inventory of damaged property and any other relevant information.
Slater Vecchio LLP is relentlessly pursuing this class action in order to achieve an award as efficiently and fairly as possible. If this proceeding is certified as a class action, the Court will allow this lawsuit to be heard in front of a judge who will decide whether or not a monetary award will be granted.
If you were affected by the Lytton Creek Wildfire or want to know more about this class action, we invite you to submit your information through the “Contact Form” on this webpage or email us at [email protected] and a representative from Slater Vecchio LLP will reach out to you.
