Wildfire damages Ukrainian ethnographic museum east of Edmonton in Canada – media
A grass fire has spread to the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village ethnographic museum and led to the closure of a highway in Elk Island National Park and the evacuation of residents east of Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan in the Canadian province of Alberta on Friday evening, the local Edmonton Journal said.
"A windswept wildfire east of Elk Island National Park, behind the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, triggered evacuations Friday night, shutting down Highway 16 at the park, say RCMP," according to the statement.
In a 19.00 update, police confirmed that the fire had spread to structures in the Ukrainian Heritage Village and released a series of photos from the scene that showed significant damage to several structures. The extent of the damage was not disclosed in detail.
At the same time, police reported the evacuation of some residents of residential buildings located north of the highway and urged others to prepare for it.
Police were notified of the grass fire 50 kilometers east of Edmonton at around 17.30. According to them, at that time the fire was spreading uncontrollably due to strong winds. By around 21.00, it had been contained, the evacuation order was lifted, residents were allowed to return to their homes, and the highway was reopened to traffic.
According to CSC News, the fire destroyed several buildings in the Ukrainian Heritage Village. "At least one building reduced to rubble," the publication said.
After the fire was contained, police said crews would continue to battle the blaze and asked the public to avoid the area. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, an ethnographic museum founded in 1971, is made up of dozens of buildings and tells the story of Alberta's Ukrainian history, which began in the 1890s.