Devastating fire destroys 22 buildings in the Duche de Bicolline medieval village in Quebec

Fire destroys buildings in Bicolline medieval village in Shawinigan. (Bicolline/Facebook)

Members of Quebec’s LARPing and fantasy and medieval enthusiast community were devastated on Sunday to find out that a fire broke out in the Duche de Bicolline, destroying several buildings.

“A painful awakening this morning on the Duché de Bicolline, marked by the fire that occurred overnight,” the medieval fantasy village wrote on its Facebook page. The historic district of the old town has been heavily affected: twenty-two buildings have been destroyed."

The “medieval-inspired” village was set up in 1994 and features rooms to rent in Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc, near Shawinigan.

“Fortunately, no one was injured to mourn,” Bicolline said. “Our thoughts are with the guilds and members affected. Starting today, our teams are in contact with all concerned homeowners.”

The site hosts the largest live-action-role-playing (LARPing) events in Canada, and hosts the “Grande Bataille” over the two medieval villages.

There is no word whether August’s Grande Bataille will be cancelled.

“The phoenix will rise from the ashes,” wrote one user on the Facebook page.

“Cheer up, beautiful Bicolline!” wrote another. “You will rise from the ashes even stronger.”

The regional fire department told Noovo Info that it is interviewing witnesses to find out more about what caused the blaze.

Firefighters from MRC of Maskinongé – Charette, Saint-Paulin, Saint-Boniface, Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc and Saint-Étienne-des-Grès – were deployed to the scene.

Director Dave Carrier said the firefighters work contained the blaze, so more of the 260 buildings were not damaged.

Bicolline added that the organization has not sanctioned any GoFundMe campaigns, and it is asking fans not to create or participate in any fundraisers.

--with files from Noovo Info.