Government investigating CN’s actions after rail crew caught in wildfire

Federal authorities say they are looking into whether Canadian National Railway Co. broke the law after a crew had to be evacuated from a train that was engulfed in flames in northwestern Ontario.

Transport Canada spokesperson Hicham Ayoun says the government is “conducting follow-up oversight” to determine if CN failed to comply with rules under the Railway Safety Act.

The department says it continues to work with Employment and Social Development Canada to determine whether health and safety violations also occurred, and that it will not hesitate to impose operational restrictions if necessary.

A video of the incident shared widely on social media showed orange-red flames closing in on the train near Armstrong, Ont., earlier this week as trees burned on both sides of the tracks.

A trade union representing railworkers said the crew had to be treated for smoke inhalation and called on CN to stop operating through active wildfire zones.

CN has said it is investigating the circumstances around the incident, noting the crew was safely pulled out of the area and that rail operations in a portion of northwestern Ontario have been suspended.

Dozens of forest fires continue to burn across the northern part of the province, with the worst ones happening in the northwest. Flames have already razed the Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, also known as Collins First Nation, north of Thunder Bay.

Officials say there are 129 active fires in the northwest region, 62 of them burning out of control, and another 61 fires in the northeast. The Ontario government and the Assembly of First Nations have called on Ottawa to provide immediate support.

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press