Grand Canyon among US national parks evacuated due to wildfires

Visitors and staff at two national parks in the U.S. West have been evacuated

The Grand Canyon's North Rim was closed Thursday (Getty Images)

Visitors and staff at two national parks in the U.S. West have been evacuated because of wildfires.

The Grand Canyon's North Rim in Arizona closed Thursday because of a wildfire on adjacent Bureau of Land Management land near Jacob Lake that began Wednesday evening after a thunderstorm moved through the area.

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 burned about 1.5 square miles (3.9 square kilometers) with zero containment.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, about 260 miles (418 kilometers) southwest of Denver, also closed Thursday morning after lightning sparked blazes on both rims, the park said.

The Grand Canyon's North Rim was closed Thursday (AP)

The wildfire on the South Rim has burned 2.5 square miles (6.5 square kilometers), with no containment of the perimeter.

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

On Tuesday, a 67-year-old man died while hiking in the Grand Canyon, according to the National Park Service.

The hiker, who was from Alvarado, Texas, was attempting to reach the Colorado River and stay overnight at Phantom Ranch, a lodging stop on a popular 15-mile round-trip route that typically takes two days of hiking.

A man died after hiking on the River Trail near Phantom Ranch in the Grand Canyon (National Park Service)

Around 11:50am, officials got a call that the hiker had been found unresponsive on the South Kaibab Trail, the same place where a different Texas man died last July, trying to reach Phantom Ranch.

Park officials said the man’s death was a reminder of the risks of hiking in extreme summer heat in the canyon.

“In the summer, temperatures on exposed parts of the trail can exceed 120°F (49°C) in the shade, creating extremely hazardous conditions for hikers,” the parks service said in its statement announcing the death.

Officials urged hikers to refrain from hiking between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. under such conditions.

“Park rangers strongly advise against hiking in the inner canyon during those hours and urge all visitors to take extreme caution when planning hikes during the summer months.”