A Friday wildfire east of Edmonton destroyed or damaged several buildings in the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village — none of which were historical structures.
The fire near Elk Island National Park jumped Highway 16, and closed the thoroughfare to traffic for several hours. This prompted five households to evacuate out of precaution. But firefighters got the flames under control before they neared those homes, an Alberta RCMP spokesperson told CBC News.
Mounties have not yet confirmed the extent of the damage. But Jay Zaal, a spokesperson for Lamont County, where the village is located, told CBC News that four structures were impacted, including the village’s visitor centre.
“We’re very, very preoccupied about the damage that has been done here. We are hopeful that things will recover,” said Orysia Boychuk, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress – Alberta Provincial Council.
“We worked really hard on preserving that history, those details, those artifacts,” she said. “Knowing that within minutes, hours, it could all disappear is very scary for us.”
This video captured by David Czerwinski shows a fast-spreading fire outside Elk Island National Park on Friday night. The flames spread to multiple structures in the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, RCMP say, though the extent of the damages cannot yet be confirmed.
Lamont County Emergency Services responded to the fire around 4 p.m. Friday and called in mutual aid from Strathcona County, Zaal said. Devin Capcara, deputy chief of planning and projects for Strathcona County Emergency Services, confirmed “several crews” were sent to the scene.
An Alberta Wildfire spokesperson told CBC News that the fire fell outside the provincial forest protection area, and the regional firefighting agencies did not request help from the agency.
Although, according to the RCMP spokesperson, some local farmers used their equipment to help douse the flames once they jumped the highway.
Photos shared by RCMP on Friday show significant damage to the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village. One building pictured had been reduced to rubble.
The village — an open-air museum depicting life of early settlers and Ukrainian culture — contains dozens of historic buildings, all of which firefighters were able to protect. But some administrative and operational buildings “were lost,” Zaal said.
Alberta Arts, Culture and Status of Women Minister Tanya Fir and Fort-Saskatchewan-Vegreville MLA Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, who is also the parliamentary secretary for settlement services and Ukrainian evacuees, issued a joint statement about the fire Saturday afternoon.
In the statement, they described the damages as “a profound loss,” as the affected buildings held exhibits and “many irreplaceable artifacts” that helped tell the history of Ukrainian Albertans.
RCMP issued an update around 9:45 p.m., saying the fire was deemed under control. The evacuation order was lifted and the highway re-opened to traffic in both directions.
Dry weather and heavy winds factored into the hours-long fire fight, Zaal said, adding that the conditions forced air support to stay grounded.
An RCMP spokesperson told CBC News around 10 p.m. Friday that it was unclear if the evacuated residents had returned to their homes.
We are aware of the fire at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village and we understand the deep concern this brings as this is an irreplaceable piece of Alberta’s story. Thankfully, no staff were onsite and no injuries have been reported. <br> <br>The fire is being contained and the… <a href=”https://t.co/BKkgFzwsWv”>https://t.co/BKkgFzwsWv</a>
—@tanya_fir
In a late-night statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, Fir thanked first responders for their efforts, noting no village staff were onsite and no injuries were reported.
Carol Slukynski was concerned when she first learned of the fire. Her mind was flooded with memories of being there with family and Ukrainian dancers, she said.
WATCH | Supporters glad no historical buildings were affected:
A grass fire broke out east of Edmonton on Friday. It destroyed or damaged several buildings in the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village — none of which were historical structures. Sam Samson shows us the damage, and how some members of the Ukrainian community are feeling about this cultural focal point.
“This village means more than just the buildings. It’s preservation of our culture and our identity as Ukrainians,” said Slukynski, a co-founder of Hosting Ukrainians in Fort Saskatchewan, a community group formed in 2022 to help newcomers fleeing the Russian invasion.
“The people who have a connection to the homesteads here and to the buildings feel like a piece of them is in those buildings,” she said, adding that she was relieved to learn no historical buildings were damaged.
On Saturday morning, crews were still monitoring hot spots in the village and grasslands where the fire started, Zaal said in an email at 8:20 a.m.
Elk Island National Park and neighbouring Lamont County are under a fire restriction. RCMP say the fire’s cause is still under investigation.
For Boychuk and Slukynski, questions linger around how the fire will affect the summer events in the village.
Boychuk said the local chapter of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, for example, was set to host Ukrainian Day festivities in the village on Aug. 24. Slukynski knows of many Ukrainian newcomers who are homesick and want to see the village and celebrate their culture.
In the joint statement Saturday, Fir and Armstrong-Homeniuk said more information will be provided in the coming weeks, and that the government is committed to reopening the village when it’s safe to do so.
