'Everyone is panicking': Canadians fleeing Maui reflect on journey home

Hundreds more Canadians fleeing the fire-ravaged island of Maui arrived in Vancouver Friday, describing scenes of chaos they witnessed during their escape.

As two more flights filled with tourists touched down at Vancouver International Airport, passengers recounted chilling sights from the wildfires that have killed at least 55 people. 

“There were shingles coming off of the roofs,” said Vancouver resident Matthew Taylor, who managed to make it out with his family. “It was scary. There was stuff and branches hitting our car and a long line of cars barely moving, so my daughters were terrified.”

Passengers said power lines were down and they had no access to the internet or cellular service for days. Some told CTV News they were forced to ration their food and share with others as the supply was running low.

“We packed up our bags and had to go,” said Jessie Watkins, a resident of Kingston, Ont. “Every single side road we went down we thought, oh we can get out – but it was blocked so everyone is panicking.”

Watkins documented their journey to the airport through cellphone videos that show heavy smoke and ambers covering their vehicle as they navigated the roads.

Both Air Canada and WestJet are preparing more planes to send to the Hawaiian island to bring back more Canadians.

According to Air Canada, a third empty ferry flight will depart Friday night and arrive back in Vancouver Saturday morning full of passengers.

“The Maui situation remains dynamic and continues to evolve. We are monitoring the situation very closely and will adjust our flight schedule and operations as required,” wrote Air Canada in a statement.

The airline also said it has put in place a flexible goodwill policy for passengers travelling to and from Maui, which will be extended as warranted.