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

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.

Wildfires raging near the Grand Canyon's North Rim have prompted evacuations, air quality concerns and the closure of the North Rim of the national park.

Access via the North Rim, a lesser-used gateway to the national park, was closed as the White Sage fire continued to burn on Saturday.

Visitors and staff at two national parks in the U.S. West have been evacuted because of wildfires. Officials at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado say the park closed Thursday morning after lightning sparked blazes on both rims.

Officials evacuated Jacob Lake and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon was closed to visitors because of the fast-moving White Sage wildfire.

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.