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

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.

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.

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

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.