A beloved heritage site east of Edmonton near the county of Lamont caught fire on Friday afternoon in the middle of hot and dry and windy conditions.
The RCMP said that several buildings caught fire in Ukrainian cultural heritage village (UCHV), located about an hour east of Edmonton.
The county of Lamont said that his firefighters had responded to the fire of the grass around 4 p.m., when he was still east of Elk Island National ParkBehind the village of Ukrainian cultural heritage.
The county said that the fire was inside the UCHV, which has an impact on the reception center and other buildings. He also jumped on the north side of Highway 16.
While the fire spread to structures within the village of Ukrainian cultural heritage, the total damaged number was unknown on Friday evening. The RCMP shared photos of the damage, which revealed that several buildings had been reduced to rubble.
Fort Saskatchewan’s RCMP got approximately an hour after the fire broke out, while the flames spread out of control, sending thick black smoke.
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Police to close the Yellowhead / Highway 16 between the entrance to the Elk Island National Park and Range Road 194 in both directions.
The RCMP closed route 16 after the Ukrainian cultural heritage village near the Elk Island National Park east of Edmonton caught fire on Friday, April 18, 2025.
Global News
Just after 7 p.m., the RCMP sent an update saying that the evacuations had started for properties on Range Road 195, north of Highway 16, in the county of Lamont.
The other owners of this field were invited to be ready to evacuate if necessary, but just after 9 pm, an update was made that the fire was contained and the precaution of the evacuation of the local RCMP was no longer necessary.
At 9:30 p.m., the county of Lamont said that the fire was underway, then highway 16 reopened to traffic and that the RCMP allowing residents to return home.
The RCMP added that the emergency teams would still be in the region by fighting what remained of fires, and the public was invited to remain vigilant and to avoid any action that could help reduce the efficiency of their work.
The County of Lamont said that his crews and the help of surrounding communities like the county of Strathcona were working on the fire.
The fire broke out during a hot and windy evening. The temperature was to drop to 7-8 C during the night with a chance of rain before dawn.
While on Saturday should be cooler, the wind should stay with gusts at around 50 hours / h.
Lamont County promulgated a fire restriction Two days ago for the rural community east of Edmonton, due to continuous dry conditions, lack of precipitation and wind speeds.
The outdoor UCHV museum in the center-east of Alberta, with costume performers and dozens of buildings, was founded in 1971 and celebrates the rich Ukrainian history of the province.
The Ukrainians began to come to Alberta in the 1890s, and the province is home to the largest number of Ukrainian descendants outside the European nation itself.
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