Ruined holidays: Quebecers stuck at the airport because of forest fires

Quebecers who hoped to be able to take advantage of the beautiful tropical temperatures of Honduras have seen their holidays ruined by forest fires which have ravaged part of the country, while a thick cloud of smoke has prevented planes from landing for a few days.

“We were really excited about doing our father-daughter trip to Roatan. It was my daughter’s last week of vacation before the start of her internship. There, it’s completely screwed up, ”laments Bernard Legros, stuck in Miami.

The duo, who reside in Vaudreuil-Dorion, were to land in Honduras on Friday morning on an American Airlines flight. However, less than twenty minutes before landing, the flight was diverted to Belize due to extreme weather conditions.

“We didn’t know what was going on. We were stuck for six hours in Belize. Outside there was a lot of smoke. This is where we learned about the forest fires that are currently affecting the continent, ”says Mr. Legros.

Faced with the impossibility of landing in Honduras, the plane was redirected to Miami, where dozens of travelers are still stuck.

“Some told me they had been waiting since Wednesday,” said the sixty-year-old, surprised that the airline had agreed to take off other flights.

Lights of “extreme” power

Two Quebecers living in Roatan, Honduras, told the Log never seen anything like it.

“What is happening on the continent right now is truly exceptional. Normally this is the time of year when the sugar cane crops are burned. There, the wind and the drought made it so that it degenerated, ”explains Gaetan Marsolais, who has been offering boat trips in an “all-inclusive” formula to tourists for 10 years.

“The last time we had a lot of smoke coming from the mainland here in Roatan was in 2020, but it wasn’t as intense,” recalls another island resident, Jérôme Guillot. .

On Saturday afternoon, NASA satellite images showed thick smoke billowing in the air over Honduras. This smoke is believed to come from numerous fires set intentionally to prepare the land for harvest in South America.

However, due to the extreme drought, the fires have spread to the point of causing columns of smoke so thick that they prevent planes from landing.

No solutions

For now, travelers stuck in Miami are still waiting for a flight that is supposed to take them to Roatan on Sunday. Some travelers have decided to return home and try to get refunds for their canceled flight.

“We can’t wait any longer, we are the ones who have to bear all the costs while waiting to leave here. We are going back to Montreal with $5,000 in the trash,” laments Bernard Legros.

Rain is expected overnight from Saturday to Sunday on the mainland, which should reduce the amount of smoke in the air and quell the numerous wildfires. Other flights from Miami to Roatan are still scheduled for Sunday during the day.