A Vancouver man who lives part time on the Hawaiian island of Maui has described how an enormous 91裸聊视频渇irestorm91裸聊视频� engulfed the town of Lahaina, where at least 53 people were killed by the devastating blaze.
Brad Desaulniers, 61, has owned a home in Kihei, about 30 kilometres from Lahaina, for 20 years.
He said he watched smoke rising over the water and hills that separate the two towns.
91裸聊视频淚t was a firestorm,91裸聊视频� Desaulniers said in a phone interview from Kihei. 91裸聊视频淭here was an entire firestorm that was two miles wide and two miles deep that just raced across and destroyed everything in its path.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淭here have been more and more wildfires in Maui for the last 10 years, but nothing like this. Some of the people who91裸聊视频檝e been here through some of the volcano issues have said this dwarfs anything that91裸聊视频檚 ever come out of the volcano.91裸聊视频�
The wildfire, fuelled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane, ignited Tuesday and quickly raced through a number of communities on Maui91裸聊视频檚 west coast.
Hawaii91裸聊视频檚 Governor Josh Green said Thursday that the death toll was 53 and likely to rise. Officials with Maui County said dozens more were injured and more than 270 structures were damaged or destroyed.
Global Affairs Canada has issued an advisory telling Canadians to avoid non-essential travel to Maui.
The advisory also warned that Canadians already on the island should consider if they really need to be there, and if not to 91裸聊视频渢hink about leaving.91裸聊视频�
The death toll makes the wildfire the deadliest in the United States since 2018 when at least 85 people were killed in the 2018 Camp Fire in California.
Desaulniers said his home was far from the fires and not damaged, but the entire northwest of Maui has been 91裸聊视频渟hut down91裸聊视频� with no road access, no electricity and limited cellphone service.
91裸聊视频淵ou can feel on the island right now, everywhere you go, a sense of shock and sadness,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭he people who91裸聊视频檝e died 91裸聊视频� the homes that were lost, the businesses that were lost 91裸聊视频� and the historical value of Lahaina is irreplaceable.91裸聊视频�
In a written statement, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Canadians in need of emergency consular assistance should contact Global Affairs91裸聊视频� emergency response centre via phone, text or online platforms such as WhatsApp.
91裸聊视频淐anadians are strongly advised to exercise caution, to monitor local news and weather reports and to follow the instructions of local authorities, including evacuation orders,91裸聊视频� Joly said in the statement.
A flyover conducted over Lahaina Thursday showed the normally vibrant community reduced to grey and black, with rubble, building foundations and charred vehicles strewn about the town.
The wildfire has disrupted transport in and out of the Hawaiian island, with both Air Canada and WestJet saying they have implemented flexible rebooking or cancellation policies to help affected travellers.
WestJet said it had cancelled three direct flights from Vancouver to Maui, and a 91裸聊视频渞ecovery flight91裸聊视频� meant to bring back stranded passengers was scheduled for Friday, in addition to two more flights routed through Honolulu this week to help travellers evacuate.
Air Canada said it was planning to send a second empty plane to the island Thursday evening after the first emergency ferry flight returned to Vancouver on Thursday morning.
A statement from the carrier said a scheduled flight from Maui to Vancouver 91裸聊视频� Air Canada91裸聊视频檚 only daily route from the island 91裸聊视频� was cancelled on Tuesday, necessitating the ferry flights.
The travel situation to Maui was 91裸聊视频渄ynamic and evolving91裸聊视频� the airline said.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority has asked visitors on non-essential travel to leave Maui, and incoming non-essential travel to the island is 91裸聊视频渟trongly discouraged.91裸聊视频�
Thomas Panos, owner of Vancouver-based Omega Travel, said Maui is a major destination for Canadian family travel during the fall, winter and spring seasons, and the potential loss of the island as a market for the foreseeable future could be a 91裸聊视频渉uge hit91裸聊视频� for the tourism industry serving that demographic.
Panos, who visited Maui in March, said it was difficult seeing the devastation in Lahaina, a historic town that was previously the capital of the kingdom of Hawaii for parts of the 1800s and a centre of activity for western portions of the island.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 shell-shocked and heartbroken for Hawaiians,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淲e had dinner at one of the restaurants that was completely destroyed by the fires in Lahaina 91裸聊视频� the Safeway that we shopped in is gone. The main street is completely gone.
91裸聊视频淚 just don91裸聊视频檛 know how they91裸聊视频檙e going to pick up because that was the financial and spiritual heart of the western part of the island.91裸聊视频�
Panos said he has few answers for clients who have booked travel to Maui in the fall and winter.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 going to be just telling our clients, basically, to just wait,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淥f course, cancel if you have any plans over the next couple of months. But just wait and see what happens.91裸聊视频�
Desaulniers said he was confident the community would rebuild, but 91裸聊视频渢he physical loss will be really hard to get over.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚f people are listening, find a way to contribute if you can 91裸聊视频� because there91裸聊视频檚 going to be an awful lot of people hurting here for a while,91裸聊视频� he said.
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