A rapidly growing fire near the Grand Canyon has expanded more than 10 times in size over the last 24 hours.
What officials have dubbed the White Sage Fire in Jacob Lake, Arizona — roughly 650 miles southwest of Denver, Colorado — has grown from 1,000 acres to nearly 11,000 acres, according to a government website that tracks U.S. wildfires. It is 0% contained.
The fire was ignited by lightning strikes on Thursday, prompting officials to evacuate the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, according to the National Park Service.
On Friday, officials said in a post on X that roughly 500 visitors were evacuated from the area and park employees and residents were sheltering in place.
A separate wildfire also prompted officials to evacuate the North Rim and South Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado, which remains closed to the public.
As the White Sage Fire rages on, the nearby Dragon Bravo Fire has grown to 1,500 acres on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, officials said in a post on X on Friday.
“High temperatures, very low humidity, gusty winds, and very dry vegetation across the region” created a risk for wildfires to occur, officials said.
The National Park Service said in a statement on Friday that hiking in the Grand Canyon was not advised as the fires rage on and affect the park’s air quality.
