Grand Canyon Wildfires Force Mass Evacuations, North Rim Closure as Blazes Rage
Grand Canyon Wildfires Force Mass Evacuations, North Rim Closure as Blazes Rage
Massive wildfires continue to rage near Grand Canyon National Park, forcing widespread evacuations and the complete closure of the park’s North Rim. Fuelled by strong winds and hot, dry conditions, two separate blazes have collectively scorched over 24,000 acres as of Saturday, July 12.
The White Sage Fire, ignited by lightning on July 9 near Jacob Lake, has rapidly expanded to more than 19,000 acres on the Kaibab Plateau. Erratic winds, gusting up to 20 miles per hour, caused the fire to surge from just 1,000 acres on July 10. This blaze has led to the evacuation of approximately 500 national park guests from the North Rim, with officials also closing surrounding public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and Kaibab National Forest.
Meanwhile, the Dragon Bravo Fire, sparked by lightning on July 4 within the park, has steadily grown to 5,000 acres. This fire has necessitated the closure of multiple park areas, including the Tiyo Point Trail, Widforss Trail, Widforss Forest Trail, NG9 Outlet Canyon Use Area, NF9 Widforss Use Area, and all NPS lands above the Coconino Sandstone between Dragon Creek and Transept Canyon south of the W-1 Point Sublime Road. The Arizona Trail remains open. Authorities are actively battling both fires and urging the public to adhere to all evacuation orders and park closures.
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