Wildfires force evacuations at Grand Canyon and Black Canyon of the Gunnison parks

Wildfires have forced evacuations for visitors and staff at two national parks in the U.S. West as the summer monsoon season brings increased lightning to the arid region.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, about 260 miles (420 kilometers) southwest of Denver, closed until further notice after lighting strikes sparked blazes on both rims, park officials said. The Grand Canyon’s North Rim in Arizona also closed because of a wildfire on adjacent Bureau of Land Management land near Jacob Lake.

The wildfire on Black Canyon of the Gunnison’s South Rim ignited Thursday and has burned 2.5 square miles (6.5 square kilometers), with no containment of the perimeter. The smaller blaze on the North Rim was out as of Friday, according to an incident map.

The conditions there have been ripe for wildfires with hot temperatures, low humidity, gusty winds and dry vegetation, the park said, adding that weather remained a concern Friday.

Fire danger has ramped up in the West as drought conditions have worsened across several states. While monsoon season can drop much-needed moisture on the area from June through September, it can also bring dust storms and thunderstorms like those that ignited the wildfires in the Colorado and Arizona parks.

Firefighters saved Black Canyon’s visitor center along the South Rim by removing dry vegetation and coating the building in a layer of protective material, fire officials said. Small aircrafts from Colorado’s Division of Fire Prevention and Control dropped retardant from the sky Friday while ground crews tried to contain the burn. Some park equipment and sheds were damaged, the park said.

In Arizona, 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. The fire began Wednesday evening after a thunderstorm moved through the area, fire officials said.

“Gusty and erratic winds” spread the flames Thursday afternoon and inhibited firefighters from containing the blaze, Bureau of Land Management spokesperson Rachel Carnahan said. By Friday afternoon it had burned about 17 square miles (44 square kilometers) with zero containment, and dark clouds of smoke settled over the Grand Canyon.

About 500 visitors who planned to stay in the park overnight were evacuated Thursday night, Grand Canyon spokesperson Joëlle Baird said. Employees and residents on the North Rim were told to shelter in place.

Melinda Rich, whose family owns the 102-year-old Jacob Lake Inn known for its homemade cookies, evacuated 75 employees Thursday and guests in about 35 cabins that were rented out at the time.

“It’s tricky for us because we were half booked and now we have to refund all of those things, and that’s a challenge financially for us,” she said. “But you also feel bad for the people who, this might be their first time at the canyon.”

Some guests had just checked in when the inn got a call from the sheriff’s office saying everyone should leave immediately, Rich said. The staff began calling and emailing guests who were out exploring, she said.

Even as smoke rose around them, the evacuation felt precautionary because of the wind direction, Rich said. In 2020, a wildfire came within 20 feet (6 meters) of some cabins.

“We had one of those incredible, miraculous moments, a lot of prayers and then wind adjusted just enough that it passed us by about a mile,” she said.

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Associated Press writer Felicia Fonseca contributed reporting from Flagstaff, Arizona.