North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park currently closed as a result of Warm Fire

Highway 67 into the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is currently closed and will remain closed until further notice. The Warm Fire, which started on June 8, 2006, on the North Kaibab National Forest, precipitated the closure which will be evaluated on a daily basis. The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will also remain closed until further notice.

Xanterra Parks and Resorts, Inc. (Xanterra), a park concessioner and Spherixs, a company that manages the North Rim Campground are prepared to accommodate those guests that are on the North Rim for the next several days if necessary. The National Park Service, the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Northern Arizona Type 2 Incident Management Team, the Department of Public Safety and Arizona Department of Transportation are working together to evaluate opportunities to escort park visitors and employees out of the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. This will occur only when it is safe. It is estimated that approximately 1,000 visitors and employees are currently on the North Rim. An emergency crew will remain on site at the North Rim to manage operations.

The National Park Service visitor center on the North Rim is open and will remain staffed from 8:00 a.m. through 8:00 p.m. to answer visitor and employee questions. Briefings are occurring throughout the day at 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. in the Grand Canyon Lodge auditorium. Emergency staff will be available after hours to answer questions and assist with visitor needs.

Park staff is currently contacting visitors with North Rim backcountry permits to inform them that permits will be cancelled for all North Rim hikes. Park rangers are sweeping the North Rim trails and will escort hikers out of the North Rim when it is determined to be safe. No additional permits will be issued until access to the North Rim is reestablished and the park is reopened. For additional information on the status of North Rim permits, please call the Backcountry Information Center at (928) 638-7875.

Visitors with hotel reservations at the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim can contact Xanterra at 1-(888) 297-2757 regarding the status of North Rim hotel reservations.

The North Rim Trans Canyon Shuttle and Grand Canyon Trail Rides are also cancelled until further notice.

The fire is currently burning in an area approximately 30 miles north of the Grand Canyon National Park North Rim developed area and is currently estimated to have burned over 31,000 acres.

Excerpt from the Warm Fire Update, dated June 26, 2006, 7 a.m. issued by the Northern Arizona Type 2 Incident Management Team.

Management of the Warm Fire transitioned from the Rocky Mountain Area Wildland Fire Use Team to the Northern Arizona Type 2 Incident Management Team at 6:00 a.m. today. The fire is no longer being managed as a wildland fire use fire, and is actively being suppressed. Maps and additional information can be found on the Northern Arizona Type 2 Incident Management Teams website at www.nazteam.com

To protect public health and safety, portions of the North Kaibab Ranger District in close proximity to the Warm Fire are closed. The closure area consists of: the area immediately east of the junction of Highway 89A and Forest Road (FR) 225; north and east of the junction of FR 225 and FR 224; north of FR 224 to its junction with FR 282; east along the southern boundary of Township 38 North to the forest boundary; west of the forest boundary to the junction of the northern boundary of Township 39 North, south of the northern boundary of Township 39 North to where it crosses FR 249; then east of FR 249 to FR 257; east along FR 257 to the junction with 89A. This closure area will be expanded later today.

Until yesterday evening, the Warm Fire had been managed as a wildland fire use fire. The forest initially set boundaries where this naturally-ignited fire use fire would be allowed to burn. Yesterday, the fire extended beyond established boundaries, so forest and fire managers decided to take full suppression action. The fire was extremely active all day yesterday and overnight. Last night, the fire made significant runs to the south and southwest, reaching Telephone Hill and crossing Highway 67. The fire is now burning within lower Moquitch Canyon west of Highway 67. The Warm Fire is still outside of the boundaries of Grand Canyon National Park. Additional updates will be provided as conditions change throughout the day.

The South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park including all South Rim Trails and the Colorado River remain open. All tours and facilities on the South Rim, including lodging, campgrounds, restaurants, tours, mule rides, laundry facilities, the grocery store, gas station, etc., remain open and accessible. Additional updates on the North Rim closure will be provided by the National Park Service as information becomes available.

For additional information on the North Rim closure, please contact Grand Canyon’s Public Affairs Office at (928) 638-7779 or (928) 638-7903 or for recorded information, please call (928) 638-7819.