(Los Angeles) The American authorities ordered the evacuation of tourists from an area of the very famous site in the Grand Canyon, in the southwest of the United States, faced with the rapid progression of a fire.
“All visitors to the North Rive (North RIM) from the Grand Canyon National Park are required to evacuate immediately,” the national parks service announced on Thursday evening on its website.
The evacuation order was given due to the progress of a fire burned more than 400 hectares of brush further north.
He is not at this stage not mastered at all, according to the last bulletin of the authorities, which provided images showing large columns of smoke rising above the brush desert.
“We have evacuated around 40 people, but many others had left before our arrival,” Jon Paxton, a spokesperson for Coconino County, told AFP.
“Most of the people we have evacuated were campers,” he added, adding that “this area is a desert platform and especially the open forest conducive to camping”.
The south shore (South Rim) of the park, the most touristy, remains still accessible.
With its grandiose landscapes, the Grand Canyon, a glowing throat dug by the Colorado river, is one of the most visited tourist sites in the United States and attracts nearly five million visitors each year.
Another national park in the southwest of the country, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, in Colorado, was completely evacuated on Thursday due to another fire.
The latter, caused by lightning, has already ravaged more than 600 hectares, powered by powerful winds, very dry vegetation and very high temperatures.
An extreme temperature alert was also issued this week for the Grand Canyon park, with expected temperatures that can exceed 46 ° C in the shade in 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.
