The lightning-sparked South Rim fire burning in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park grew to nearly 3,000 acres and continued to force evacuations of nearby homes, fire officials said

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.

As of Thursday at 1:20 p.m., crews were battling wildfires on both rims of Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Montrose County, according to the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.The National Park Service announced that the park is closed as they battle the fire,