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.

A mix of high temperatures, gusty winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation has fuelled the fire's swift advance in Arizona, officials say.

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 White Sage and Dragon Bravo fires have burned a combined 24,000 acres, only miles apart from one another near the Grand Canyon.

The White Sage Fire near the North Rim has grown to more than 19,000 acres, authorities said, while the nearby Dragon Bravo Fire has burned at least 5,000 acres.

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.

Visitors along the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park were asked to evacuate immediately on Thursday due to a wildfire burning nearby.

Rapid growth on the South Rim fire in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park forced immediate evacuations in Montrose County on Saturday afternoon.