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

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

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 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.