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Tourists, residents evacuated from Grand Canyon due to wildfires / Photo: © AFP/File
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Tourists, residents evacuated from Grand Canyon due to wildfires
Fast-spreading wildfires have forced the evacuation of part of the Grand Canyon, with the US National Park Service ordering visitors and residents away from its northern rim.
"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 Bravo Fire, which was sparked by lightning and has been burning since July 4, was 150 acres (61 hectares) in size Friday evening and zero percent contained, a US government incident report said.
Park Service staff had already cleared the North Rim, which is less popular with tourists than the South Rim, of some 500 visitors late Thursday.
Day-use access to the area was also closed due to a larger blaze called the White Sage Fire, which was burning outside the Grand Canyon National Park.
However, it was approaching Jacob Lake, Arizona, a small settlement known as the gateway to the North Rim.
About 10,973 acres (4,441 hectares) have been scorched by the White Sage Fire which is zero-percent contained, according to authorities, who released images of large columns of smoke rising above the scrubby desert.
Jon Paxton, press officer for the Coconino County sheriff's office, told AFP that a hotel and some businesses had been emptied.
"Most of the folks we evacuated were campers," he said. "This area is high desert and mostly open forest for camping."
- Started by lightning -
The White Sage Fire was also started by lightning, during a thunderstorm on July 9.
"Crews encountered very extreme fire behavior due to the dry conditions (and) gusty and erratic winds inhibiting the ability for fire fighters to safely engage the fire," the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) said.
One of the greatest wonders of the natural world, the Grand Canyon is the result of the Colorado River eating away at layers of red sandstone and other rock for millions of years, leaving a gash up to 18 miles (30 km) wide and more than a mile (1.6 km) deep.
Park Service advised against any hiking into the canyon, due to extreme heat and wildfire smoke. A 67-year-old man died on Tuesday while attempting to reach the river in hot conditions.
Last year almost five million people visited the world-famous site.
Another popular site, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado, was also closed Friday because of a wildfire.
N. Nilsson--BTZ
