Strong winds and hot, dry weather continue to fuel two separate wildfires near the northwestern side of the Grand Canyon Saturday, closing the canyon’s North Rim and forcing evacuations throughout the area.

Visitors and staff at two national parks in the U.S. West have been evacuted because of wildfires. Officials at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado say the park closed Thursday morning after lightning sparked blazes on both rims.

Additional evacuation orders were issued after the Dragon Bravo Fire burning along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon increased in size overnight. As of 11:30 a.m., the

“Due to the advancing Dragon Bravo Fire within Grand Canyon National Park, all North Rim residents are now in ‘GO’ status and should evacuate the North Rim immediately,” the National Park Service said in an X post on Friday afternoon. The Dragon ...

The NPS recommends avoiding hiking the Grand Canyon's inner trails between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when temperatures are at their peak. Temperatures in the inner canyon can reach over 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade, creating "extremely hazardous conditions for hikers," the NPS said.