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.

The explosive growth of the White Sage Fire prompted the evacuation of 500 park visitors and the closure of the North Rim through Saturday at least.

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