Grass fire spreads to Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village east of Edmonton

RCMP say a grass fire that closed a northern section of the Trans-Canada Highway in Alberta that had spread to the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village is now under control.

Mounties say in a news release Friday night that the fire east of Elk Island National Park has been contained and Highway 16 has been reopened.

They also say evacuations ordered earlier in the evening for homes on Range Road 195, North of Highway 16, has been lifted.

Mounties said in a news release earlier Friday evening that the fire had spread to structures inside the Ukranian Cultural Heritage Village, which features 40 restored buildings commemorating the settlement of east central Alberta by Ukrainians.

The village is currently closed for the season.

Mounties asked the public to avoid Highway 16 earlier in the evening, which was shut down between the eastern entrance to the national park and Range Road 194 in both directions.

"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 spread the evacuation zone," police said on Friday night.

RCMP have not shared any details about the extend of damage inside the village.

According to its website, the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village Society was founded in 1971, and it bought the site and began relocating buildings there from farms and towns of east central Alberta.

The province acquired it in 1975, and it says the buildings there have been restored and furnished to their early 20th century appearance.

The Alberta Emergency Alert sent at 8:24 p.m. warned residents and travellers to avoid the area and to prepare to evacuate if advised by RCMP, but was cancelled about 30 minutes later saying the fire has been contained.

Officials with Alberta Wildfire say the wildfire risk in a number of forest management areas has been elevated due to warmer temperatures and wind.