Gusting winds have pushed the Fuller Fire on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park to more than 11,000 acres/NPS

Firefighters on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park contending with gusting winds on Sunday were hoping "existing roads and natural features" would help them gain control over a lightning-sparked wildfire that made a four-and-a-half-mile run the day before. 

The winds Saturday pushed the Fuller Fire to the northeast through the Saddle Mountain Wilderness. Additional growth was reported to the south below the rim near Ehrenberg Point. park officials said. Crews conducted a second night of burnout operations along Cape Royal Road to prevent fire growth to the east of the Road along the rim.

Fire bosses estimated the size of the blaze at 11,382 acres, with zero percent contained.

On Sunday the effort was to hold the fire to the east of Cape Royal Road using firing operations when needed. To the north, the fire has moved out of the Wilderness into grasses in the South Canyon Point area of the Kaibab National Forest, a park release said. Crews planned to use existing roads and natural features wherever possible to limit future fire spread in this area. To the west, low and moderate fire behavior would continue to benefit the spruce-fir ecosystem of the North Rim, it added.

“We are balancing the need to protect resources where appropriate while still allowing the fire to spread naturally where it is safe to do so, said Rick Miller, deputy incident commander. “To the north and south that means limiting fire growth, while to the west it will continue to back slowly through the fire-adapted ecosystem."

Light to moderate smoke from Sunday's fire activity was expected to spread to the northeast reaching into Page, Kayenta, and the northeast areas of the Navajo Nation. 

The fire has led to the closures of all U.S. Forest Service areas east of Highway 67 and south of Tater Ridge Rd (FSR 213) and east of House Rock Valley Rd (FSR 8910). Also, the  Fuller Canyon Road, Cape Royal Road, Point Imperial Road, and Forest Service routes 610 and 611 also were closed.

Trail closures included the Arizona Trail (Lindberg Hill north to the Park boundary); Ken Patrick Trail (starting at the Uncle Jim Trail junction; Point Imperial Trail); Nankoweap Trail; Saddle Mountain Trail; and South Canyon Trail.

Highway 67 and the North Rim Visitor Center, Grand Canyon Lodge and campground all remained open, as well as Forest Service route 22 and the Rainbow Rim Trail on Kaibab National Forest.