A beloved heritage site east of Edmonton near Lamont County caught fire Friday evening amid warm, dry conditions and windy weather.
RCMP said several buildings were on fire at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village and evacuation preparations were being made for the rural area surrounding the museum, located about an hour east of Edmonton.
Fort Saskatchewan RCMP said it got a call around 5:30 p.m. that a grass fire had broken out east of Elk Island National Park, behind the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village.
It started to spread out of control, prompting police to close the Yellowhead/Highway 16 between the entrance to Elk Island National Park and Range Road 194 in both directions.
RCMP closed Highway 16 after the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village near Elk Island National Park east of Edmonton caught fire on the evening of Friday, April 18, 2025.
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Just after 7 p.m., RCMP sent out an update saying evacuations have begun for properties on Range Road 195, north of Highway 16, in Lamont County.
Anyone with residences not yet affected by the evacuation, but living in the area, is advised to prepare an evacuation kit and to be ready should the need arise to expand the evacuation zone.
RCMP also confirmed the fire spread to structures inside the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, but the total number was unknown as of publishing.
The situation is evolving rapidly and the extent of the damages can’t be confirmed at this time, police said.
Lamont County said both its crews and aid from surrounding communities were responding to the fire.
The public is asked to avoid the area and find alternate routes of travel.
The fire broke out on a warm, windy evening. The temperature is expected to drop to 7-8 C overnight with a chance of pre-dawn rain.
While Saturday is expected to be cooler, the wind is expected to remain with gusts coming in around 50 hm/h.
Global News has a crew in the area around the Ukrainian Village. This story will be updated as more information is received.
The open-air museum in east-central Alberta, complete with costumed interpreters and dozens of buildings, was founded in 1971 and celebrates the province’s rich Ukrainian history.
Ukrainians first started coming to Alberta in the 1890s, and the province is home to the greatest number of Ukrainian descendants outside of the European nation itself.
— This is a breaking news story. More to come…