Hawaiian wildfires delay flight to British Columbia

Some Canadians vacationing in Hawaii saw their flight home with Air Canada cancelled, as parts of the island of Maui were being scorched by a devastating wildfire.

A statement from the air carrier said the most recent scheduled flight from Maui to Vancouver was cancelled as access to the airport was closed. It also said a larger, and empty, plane lifted off from Vancouver Wednesday evening, bound for the island, to pick up the stranded passengers and those booked on the next regularly scheduled flight.

The company added that it is continuing to monitor the situation, with regular daily flights between Vancouver and Maui still scheduled. It is also putting in place a flexible rebooking policy for passengers travelling to and from Maui.

The wildfires continued to burn as night set in for Hawaiians, fanned by strong winds from Hurricane Dora, which is at sea south of the island chain. 

US President Joe Biden sent thoughts and prayers to those impacted by the wildfires and thanked first responders for their hard work.

Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the wildfires in Maui. Our prayers are with those whose homes, businesses, and communities are destroyed.

We are grateful to the first responders putting themselves in harm’s way to save lives.

— President Biden (@POTUS) August 9, 2023

Officials with Maui County say at least 36 people have been killed, dozens more wounded, and more than 270 structures were damaged or destroyed. 

West Maui visitors advised to leave Lahaina and Maui; airlines reporting open flights https://t.co/GxHzhWUgpH pic.twitter.com/U3XpN0hgSo

— County of Maui (@CountyofMaui) August 10, 2023

It is feared that more deaths will be confirmed when the flames die down.