Wildfires in Arizona have led to evacuations and closures around the Grand Canyon recently. On the evening of July 11th, the White Sage Fire had burned approximately 10,973 acres, while the Dragon Bravo Fire affected around 1,500 acres.

The White Sage fire ignited roughly 1.5 miles from the community of White Sage and about 15 miles southeast of Fredonia, as reported by the Arizona Department of Land Management. The initial smoke report came in on Wednesday, July 9th, triggered by a thunderstorm in the area.

The Bureau of Land Management noted that the White Sage fire experienced significant growth on July 10th, marked by spotting and torching due to winds reaching 15-20 miles per hour. These gusty winds, combined with extremely dry conditions, created an environment ripe for “extreme fire behavior,” hindering firefighters’ efforts to contain the flames that night.

US 89A has been closed from Fredonia to Bitter Springs. The Arizona Department of Transportation announced on July 11th that there is currently no estimated time for the highway’s reopening.

Another fire, known as the Dragon Bravo Fire, was reportedly sparked by a lightning strike within the Grand Canyon National Park. Managed under a “confined” strategy, this fire also grew due to the persistently hot, dry, and windy conditions.

On July 10th, Grand Canyon staff began evacuating about 500 guests from the North Rim because of the White Sage fire. By the following day, residents in the North Rim were placed under a “GO” status, indicating they needed to evacuate immediately due to the Dragon Bravo fire.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office stated that they assisted in evacuating individuals north of Lake Jacob and campers from the Kaibab National Forest in Arizona.

A “Complete Incident Management Team” is expected to bring additional resources to the area on Saturday, July 12th.

The National Park Service announced on Saturday that the northern section of the Grand Canyon will remain closed until further notice.

Meanwhile, fires have also led to the closure of the Black Canyon in Gunnison National Park due to lightning strikes on both the north and south sides in Colorado. The latest incident report indicated that this fire had affected about 2,892 acres as of Saturday.

Firefighters successfully protected the Black Canyon visitor center by clearing dry vegetation and applying protective materials to the building.