Hourly Update

Fire strands estimated 800 tourists on Grand Canyon's North Rim

Eds: Adds new 3rd and 5th grafs with information on number of tourists stranded, plans for getting them out; edits graf 7 to clarify status of South Rim; adds new final graf on hikers. FREDONIA, Ariz. - A wildfire burning north of the Grand Canyon National Park jumped the only highway leading to the canyon's North Rim late Sunday, forcing the road's indefinite closure. Highway 67A leads to the North Rim and lodges on the remote northern edge of the park. The same highway was closed most of Saturday but reopened. An estimated 800 tourists and 150 employees will not be able to leave the North Rim until the highway reopens, said Leah McGinnis, a national park spokeswoman. All are staying either in campgrounds or in resorts and motels. The fire is miles from the visitors and there is no danger. The highway will be closed until further notice, and definitely all day Monday, said Sky Sieber, a public information officer with the team fighting the fire. McGinnis said national park officials are working with fire managers and the state Department of Public Safety Monday to look for opportunities to escort tourists out of the area. The blaze is burning 30 miles north of the national park and 30 miles south of Fredonia and no homes or buildings are threatened. It has not entered the park itself. The North Rim is significantly more remote and less popular than the park's main South Rim entrance, which is not affected by the closure. The blaze, dubbed the "Warm Fire," has consumed more than 25,000-acres and had previously been monitored as a natural fire and allowed to burn because it wasn't threatening any property. Such "wildland use" fires are used to clear out overgrown areas and restore a natural balance to the forest. It now is being fought as a bona fide wildfire, a designation that will bring more resources to fight it. Nearly 400 firefighters are on the lines, aided by helicopters. "The fire was burning really well, it was burning in an area where we wanted it to burn," Sieber said. "Unexpected weather kind of hit us and forced the fire to move into an area where we didn't want it." The wildfire has been burning since it was discovered June 8 in the Kaibab National Forest after a series of lightning strikes. Crews have lines around about half of the fire's perimeter. Besides working with stranded tourists on the North Rim, national park rangers are hiking trails to let backpackers know they'll not be able to leave from the North Rim. They also are phoning those who have upcoming backcountry permits to let them know the area is closed.