Historical buildings spared from wildfire that reached Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village [Video]

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.

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, …