White Sage Fire forces evacuations and closure of Grand Canyon North Rim

Residents of Jacob Lake in northern Coconino County were being evacuated, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon was closed to visitors on July 10 due to the fast-moving White Sage Fire.

Coconino County Sheriff's Office deputies and other officials were assisting people in the Jacob Lake area, as well as helping campers out of the Kaibab National Forest, according to a statement from the Sheriff's Office.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon was closed until further notice, the National Park Service said.

Both directions of U.S. Highway 89A were closed. Southbound lanes were closed at Fredonia, while northbound lanes were closed in Bitter Springs.

Drivers should expect delays and find alternate routes, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. There was no estimated time for the highway to reopen.

The Bureau of Land Management was first notified of the fire on July 9, following a thunderstorm that had moved through, according to federal records. The fire had burned roughly 1,000 acres and was not contained at all by 8:30 p.m. on July 10.