A fire near the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona has grown more than 20 times in size in 24 hours as an intensifying wildfire season sees the return of Canadian wildfire smoke into the U.S.

A Grand Canyon water treatment facility located at the North Rim caught fire on Saturday, causing chlorine gas to be released into the air. Multiple closures are being enforced due to the incident.

Authorities maintained the evacuation zones for the White Sage Fire north of the Grand Canyon as the fire grew expectantly.

Strong winds and hot, dry weather continue to fuel two separate wildfires near the northwestern side of the Grand Canyon Saturday, closing the canyon’s North Rim and forcing evacuations throughout the area.

A wildfire burning in Grand Canyon National Park triggered a chlorine gas leak Friday afternoon after flames reached a water treatment facility.

Hurricane Valley firefighters have been deployed to the White Sage Fire, which is exhibiting “extreme fire behavior” as it covers over 40,000 acres near Grand Canyon.

A mix of high temperatures, gusty winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation has fuelled the fire's swift advance in Arizona, officials say.

The Grand Canyon’s North Rim in Arizona also closed Thursday because of a wildfire on adjacent Bureau of Land Management land near Jacob Lake. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said it helped evacuate people from an area north of Jacob Lake and campers in the Kaibab National Forest nearby.

A wildfire that's burning in the southern part of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park has grown to more than 1,600 acres.