'It's all gone': Travellers fleeing deadly Maui wildfires arrive at Vancouver airport
Relieved travellers arrived at the Vancouver airport Thursday after fleeing from the deadly wildfires that have devastated parts of the Hawaiian island of Maui.
The rapidly spreading fires have killed at least 53 people and prompted the evacuation of Lahaina, a popular tourist destination on Maui's west coast where a number of Canadians were vacationing this week. More than 1,000 structures have been destroyed.
"The whole town is just completely decimated," said Vladimir Stelkic, a Calgary resident who landed at Vancouver International Airport on his way to see family in B.C. "There's nothing there."
Stelkic recounted planning his escape from a hotel that had lost power due to the West Maui wildfire and was relying on backup generators.
"We were about 10 minutes away from the fire. We could see the glow and the smoke," he said.
"They were just running the elevators and emergency lighting but the computers were out … There was no cell service, there was no food."
- In pictures: Wildfires burning on the Hawaiian island of Maui
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
Langley resident Jennifer Cordova said she was enjoying the sights in Lahaina just two days ago, including the banyan tree, a 150-year-old landmark that has been badly damaged by the flames that tore through town.
"It's really sad," Cordova said. "It's changing fast and it's scary, but we're just really grateful that we got on our flight. We slept at the Maui airport for 24 hours."
The fires have impacted travel on the island, but officials opened up a route along the northern coast – the single-lane Kahekili Highway, a winding cliffside road that is notorious among tourists – to help people escape. Stelkic was among those who risked the drive to make their way to Kahului Airport.
"I just feel really bad for the locals there," he said. "I feel guilty almost. We left and they're there."
FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS
Travellers who were scheduled to fly between YVR and Maui have been urged to check their flight status before leaving home.
Many flights have been cancelled or delayed due to the deadly wildfires, including two that were scheduled to depart from Vancouver and one that was supposed to arrive from the island on Wednesday.
Air Canada dispatched an empty plane from YVR on Wednesday night to help bring stranded Canadian travellers home, and said it is continuing to monitor the situation, with regularly daily flights between the two airports still scheduled as of Thursday morning.
Air Canada has also implemented a "flexible rebooking policy" for travellers who booked a flight to or from Maui, provided they purchased no later than Aug. 9 for a departure no later than Aug. 13.
"If you are scheduled to travel during the affected period, you can retrieve your booking to change your flight, free of charge, to another date between now and (Sept. 15, 2023) subject to availability in the cabin you originally purchased," reads a notice on the company's website. "Otherwise, any fare difference will apply."
CANADIANS ADVISED TO AVOID MAUI
On Thursday, Global Affairs Canada issued an advisory against non-essential travel to Maui.
Those who are already on the island have been "strongly advised" to "exercise caution, monitor local news and weather reports and to follow the instructions of local authorities, including evacuation orders," spokesperson Jérémie Bérubé told CTV News in a statement.
So far, the government has not received any reports of Canadians who have been killed or injured as a result of the fires, Bérubé said.
Canadian travellers in need of emergency consular assistance can contact Global Affairs' Emergency Watch and Response Centre by calling +1-613-996-8885, texting +1-613-686-3658, via Telegram at Canada Emergency Abroad, via WhatsApp at +1-613-909-8881, or via Signal at +1-613-909-8087.
Help is also available through email at sos@international.gc.ca.
With files from CTVNews.ca's Sissi De Flaviis and The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.