ROTHENBURGER: Why can’t investigators work together on Lytton fire?

Questions are being raised about the thoroughness of the investigation, including the fact the TSB relied on interviews with residents by police instead of doing its own.

One wonders if criticisms of the report’s methodology might be quite different if it had concluded that the fire was, indeed, caused by sparks from a passing train. Nevertheless, residents certainly have a right to challenge it and raise questions.

After all, they remain without homes to go to and it’s natural that they’re anxious to know what caused such heartbreaking loss.

According to the TSB, if new evidence should happen to be revealed, its investigation could be reopened. Otherwise, it’s done.

Which leaves two other investigations — one by RCMP and one by the BC Wildfire Service — upon which to hang hopes for a definitive answer or, perhaps, a different one. When those investigations will be completed is unclear.

Here’s a question from someone — namely me — who is sometimes flummoxed by what government bureaucracies do and why they do it: why could one investigation not be done by all three agencies in co-ordination with each other?

One of the complaints about the TSB report, for example, is that TSB personnel aren’t experts in fire behaviour. The B.C. Wildfire Service is. So, rather than just working “closely” together, what if the TSB, Wildfire Service and RCMP undertook one joint investigation and filed one comprehensive report? Wouldn’t that make more sense than three different reports with potentially different conclusions?

Just asking.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

by Mel Rothenburger

ROTHENBURGER: Why can’t investigators work together on Lytton fire?

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