Several hundred tourists and residents have been evacuated from an area of the very famous site in the Grand Canyon, in the southwest of the United States, due to two fires, US authorities announced on Friday.
The largest fire, which was launched on Wednesday night by a ray, devastated more than 3,500 hectares of brush near the northern shore (North Rim) of the National Park and was still out of control on Friday at noon.
“All visitors have abandoned the area.”
“Last night, the great canyon staff evacuated around 500 visitors from the north coast due to the fire,” said the park in X, specifying that “all visitors left the area.”
The images provided by the authorities show large columns of smoke that rise above the brush desert. The region’s sheriff also carried out evacuations.
“We have evacuated about 40 people, but many others had gone before our arrival,” said Jon Paxton, spokesman for the Coconino County, that “most” evacuated “were campers.”
A fire caused by lightning
A second fire, also caused by a ray on July 4, also continues to grow in the region. On Friday night, its propagation led the authorities to issue evacuation orders on the inhabitants of the area, which until now had ordered to be confined in their homes.
“All residents in North Shore are now on alert (…) and must evacuate the northern shore immediately,” said Grand Canyon Park in X. The South Bank (Rim South) of the Park, the most tourist, remains accessible.
With its great landscapes, the Grand Canyon, a brilliant throat of the Colorado River, is one of the most popular tourist sites in the United States, attracting almost five million visitors every year.
Another national park in the southwest of the country, the black cannon of the Gunnison, in Colorado, was completely evacuated on Thursday due to another fire. The latter, caused by lightning, has already devastated more than 600 hectares, fed by powerful winds, very dry vegetation and high temperatures.
This week an extreme heat alert for the Grand Canyon Park was also issued, with expected temperatures that can exceed 46 ° C in the shade in some places. On Tuesday, the authorities found a 67 -year -old hiker who died in the park. An investigation is underway and the first elements suggest that his death would be linked to heat.
Source: BFM TV
