‘Like a bomb going off’: British Columbia wildfire triggers mass evacuations

Blaze forces mass evacuations as fire spreadsBritish Columbia declared a state of emergency on Saturday as a fast-moving wildfire nearly doubled in size overnight, forcing thousands of residents in the western Canadian province to evacuate their homes.The Bald Range wildfire was burning out of control after rapidly expanding to about 9,500 hectares (23,500 acres), prompting evacuation orders in Summerland, Peachland and other communities west of Okanagan Lake in British Columbia’s southern interior. The region is home to most of British Columbia’s vineyards and is Canada’s second-largest wine-producing area.Officials said the fire had triggered the province’s largest evacuation event of the summer so far, with more than 20,000 people across British Columbia forced to leave their homes.Summ