The wildfire closed the North Rim's visitor center and forced the evacuations of anyone living nearby, as firefighters battled for containment.

Access via the North Rim, a lesser-used gateway to the national park, was closed as the White Sage fire continued to burn on Saturday.

Hundreds of visitors and residents were evacuated from the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park this week as two wildfires advanced toward the park.

The White Sage Fire near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon has grown to 19,000 acres, prompting evacuations for nearby residents, according to the Bureau of Land Management. As of the morning of July 12, BLM reported the fire had spread to 19,153 acres, with no containment achieved by firefighters.

Authorities increased the size of the evacuation zone for the White Sage Fire north of the Grand Canyon on Friday morning.

The Grand Canyon’s North Rim in Arizona also closed Thursday because of a wildfire on adjacent Bureau of Land Management land near Jacob Lake. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said it helped evacuate people from an area north of Jacob Lake and campers in the Kaibab National Forest nearby.

Officials evacuated Jacob Lake and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon was closed to visitors because of the fast-moving White Sage wildfire.

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.

The Mountain West and commissioner Gloria Nevarez angered at least two of the conference’s five departing schools with the early addition of Grand Canyon. The Lopes are joining the MWC for the 2025-26 athletics season after previously agreeing to come ...