A fire in the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife has forced the museum to close temporarily.

Firefighters were called to the museum at about 6:30 a.m. on Boxing Day and found smoke pouring out of the exhaust chimney.

The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife had planned to open its collections to the public during the holiday week. (CBC)

A spokesperson for the Yellowknife Fire Department says the fire was burning in the space between the ceiling and the roof, where there are no sprinklers.

The fire is believed to have started when heat built up in the chimney pipe and transferred to nearby wood.

Damage is estimated at about $200,000, but no exhibits were burned or damaged, according to the department. The worst damage is in the café area.

Fans have been set up to dry wet carpets in the museum. Damage from the fire was limited to the kitchen area and the carpets. (CBC)

Cleanup crews spent Monday and Tuesday at the museum, which holds some of the Northwest Territories' most valuable artifacts, including sculptures, clothing and hunting and working tools.

The museum is also used for storing artifacts from Nunavut.

There was no word Wednesday on when the museum will reopen. Until the fire, the museum planned to open in the afternoons during the holiday week.