Canadians vacationing in Hawaii have learned that their flight home with Air Canada has been canceled as parts of the island of Maui were scorched by a devastating wildfire.
A statement from the Montreal-based carrier said the last scheduled flight from Maui to Vancouver was canceled after access to the airport was closed.
Air Canada added that a larger, empty plane took off from Vancouver on Wednesday evening, bound for the island of Maui, to bring stranded Canadian vacationers and those who had booked seats on the next scheduled flight back to Canada.
The airline added that it continues to monitor the situation, with scheduled daily flights between Vancouver and Maui still scheduled. Air Canada is also implementing a flexible rebooking policy for passengers traveling to and from Maui.
Wildfires continued to burn as night fell over Hawaii. The flames were fanned by high winds from Hurricane Dora, which lies offshore south of the Pacific island chain.
Maui County officials say at least 36 people have lost their lives to the fires, dozens more have been injured and more than 270 structures have been damaged or destroyed. It is feared that more deaths will be confirmed when the flames die down.
Acting Hawaii Governor Sylvia Luke is asking travelers to avoid traveling to Maui.
