Canada has issued a travel advisory for Los Angeles as historic wildfires continue to wreak havoc in Southern California. Multiple wildfires broke out on January 7 and 8, including the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood and the Eaton Fire in Altadena, near Pasadena.
The fires have claimed five lives, forced over 100,000 people to evacuate, and threatened famous landmarks. Nearly 2,000 structures, including homes and businesses, have been destroyed, and the number is expected to rise.
Water-bombing crews from Quebec and a British Columbia company are helping to fight the fires. In response to the dangerous conditions, Canadian authorities have issued a “life-threatening windstorm warning” for Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A State of Emergency has been declared as evacuation orders are enforced in several densely populated areas.
The wildfires have caused significant disruption, with closed roads, heavy smoke reducing visibility, and deteriorating air quality. Widespread power outages are affecting parts of Los Angeles County. While Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) remains open, passengers are advised to check with their airlines regarding potential flight cancellations.
Canada also warns travelers about possible disruptions at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) due to the fires and severe winter storms affecting parts of the U.S. Five flights to Dallas were cancelled, and two flights from Dallas to Vancouver were also called off. However, flights to LAX were reportedly on schedule as of Thursday.
To help affected travelers, airlines like WestJet have updated their ticketing policies. WestJet is offering free changes or cancellations for flights to Los Angeles through January 11. Passengers can make a one-time change to their itinerary without incurring additional charges. If travelers change their destination or cabin, any fare difference applies, but residual funds will be refunded. Canceled bookings will be refunded or credited based on the fare class, with certain restrictions for tickets purchased with WestJet dollars or Travel Bank credit.
WestJet has also extended the same ticketing policy to passengers flying to Atlanta on January 10 due to the ongoing winter storms in the U.S.
