B.C. wildfire emergency prompts Air Canada, WestJet re-booking options

Aug 16, 2018

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WestJet and Air Canada are offering more flexible flight options for passengers booked to fly in or out of some cities in British Columbia, where hundreds of wildfires have sparked a state of emergency.

WestJet says passengers scheduled to travel to or from Kamloops, Kelowna, Penticton, Prince George or Terrace between now and Aug. 22 can cancel or rebook their flights without a penalty fee.

Air Canada tickets for flights up until Aug. 22 heading in or out of six cities in the B.C. interior can be changed free of charge to another date before Sept. 1.

The B.C. government declared a state of emergency Wednesday in response to more than 500 fires that have burned through the province's firefighting capacity and triggered international support.

Firefighters from Australia, New Zealand and Mexico are now taking part in the fight.

Ottawa announced Monday it would deploy 200 soldiers and several aircraft to help battle the fires.