Explosive chemicals evacuate 50 Vancouver Island homes

ESQUIMALT, B.C. — Police evacuated at least 50 homes and closed a major Victoria-area road on Friday after explosive material was found in the Esquimalt residence of an amateur chemist.

RCMP said late Friday afternoon the evacuation would last between eight and 24 hours. The bomb squad has been called in from Vancouver.

Esquimalt spokeswoman Barbara Snyder, director of development services, said the incident began when a man hired professionals to remove chemicals from a property that belonged to his late father, an amateur chemist.