Two North Rim viewpoints closed due to Grand Canyon wildfire

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. — Firefighters helped by favorable winds are working to keep a 2-week-old wildlife from moving toward the highway serving the lodge, restaurant and main campgrounds on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

State Route Highway 67 and the North Rim developed area remain open, but the fire has resulted in closures of Grand Canyon National Park access roads to the Point Imperial and Cape Royal viewpoints elsewhere on the North Rim.

Approximately 500 personnel are fighting the fire, which has burned 4.6 square miles of aspen and pine since started June 29 by lightning.

Crews are constructing fire breaks to keep the fire from growing in certain directions and also igniting unburned fuel inside the perimeter.

Smoke from #FullerFire seen at sunset from the South Rim of the park, July 15, 2016. #GrandCanyon -mq pic.twitter.com/2aTUUTkfAq

— Grand Canyon NPS (@GrandCanyonNPS) July 16, 2016

Winds spur #FullerFire growth; protection work continues https://t.co/JDjh77Awtd Photo courtesy Christian Schroll pic.twitter.com/6bdU3jQO7p

— Grand Canyon NPS (@GrandCanyonNPS) July 16, 2016