Canada's Quebec City is famous for several cultural hot spots ranging from the Château Frontenac and Citadelle of Quebec to the Plains of Abraham and Musée de la civilisation. Yet, it's another famous site that has been receiving much attention this week, and not for the reasons it would have hoped. A fire broke out at the Hôtel de Glace, Quebec City's popular ice hotel. The incident occurred earlier this week when a candle set a room's sheets on fire. A couple was in the room at the time, yet sustained only minor injuries. "A small fire occurred at the Ice Hotel of Valcartier overnight on Monday, forcing the evacuation and temporary closure of the establishment,” said the hotel in a statement. "The fire began in a suite occupied by two customers. They were transported by ambulance and have been been discharged by medical authorities."

The hotel promises that the fire did not damage the integrity of the structure. Yet it did admit that the incident has left a foul smell in the air, quite literally. "Hôtel de Glace is like a giant igloo,” said hotel CEO Jacques Desbois, in an interview with Le Soleil, a French-language daily newspaper in Quebec City. "Air and dust settles on the snow. So we’re already hard at work cleaning up." While the hotel will be closed for several days as it cleans up from the fire, the administration is looking into the exact causes of the incident.