A fire near the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona has grown more than 20 times in size in 24 hours as an intensifying wildfire season sees the return of Canadian wildfire smoke into the U.S.

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.

Hurricane Valley firefighters have been deployed to the White Sage Fire, which is exhibiting “extreme fire behavior” as it covers over 40,000 acres near Grand Canyon.

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.

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.

A wildfire burning in Grand Canyon National Park triggered a chlorine gas leak Friday afternoon after flames reached a water treatment facility.

A wildfire that's burning in the southern part of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park has grown to more than 1,600 acres.