CN Rail said they could not determine if their trains caused a series of fires in the city in May. Several fires, including one off Wilkes Avenue near Shaftesbury Boulevard, sprung up at the beginning of the month.
At the time of the fires, the source was not immediately identified but Winnipeg firefighters said there appeared to be a definite pattern in line with the railway tracks.
Patrick Waldron of CN Public Affairs told Global News via email CN conducted an investigation to find out if the fires were the result of malfunctioning locomotives or track work.
“A thorough investigation and review of activities and equipment, that included inspections of the locomotive engines and other equipment that ran on the line, did not identify any specific rail operations or equipment defects that would have caused the series of brush fires that occurred on the corridor May 6 during the extremely dry conditions,” Waldron said.
Essentially, there was no evidence that clearly pointed to the fires being started by passing trains.
Regardless, the City of Winnipeg expects CN to pay up.
An email sent to Global News Friday said that although the total costs have not yet been determined, the city will be seeking reimbursement from CN in relation to the brush fires.
“The Wildfires Act (see Part 10) allows a municipality to seek costs and expenses related to its response to fires originating within 100 meters of the center line of a railway track. WFPS will invoice according to the provisions of the applicable legislation,” wrote David Driedger, manager of corporate communications.
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