Hawaiian wildfires delay flight to British Columbia
By The Canadian Press on August 10, 2023.
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. Officials say at least six people have been killed, dozens more wounded, and more than 270 structures were damaged or destroyed. It is feared that more deaths will be confirmed when the flames die down. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 10, 2023. 8-7
