A New Jersey man has been missing for about a week as a “mega-fire” ravages the Grand Canyon National Park.
Thomas Daniel Gibbs, a 35-year-old resident of Freehold, New Jersey, was last contacted by his friends and family around noon on July 22, according to a press release from the National Park Service. His loved ones filed a missing person report on July 28.
On July 31, the U.S. Forest Service categorized the Dragon Bravo Fire as a “mega-fire” when it expanded beyond 100,000 acres along the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
The blaze earned the distinction of being the largest currently burning fire within the continental U.S. and ranks among the top 10 largest fires in Arizona’s history. In terms of scale, the area covered is comparable to the distance from New York City to Washington, D.C.
For at least seven consecutive days, towering convection formations known as pyrocumulus clouds have been observed above Arizona’s fire, stoking its intensity with dry, gusty winds, as fire information officer Lisa Jennings revealed to the Associated Press last week. These clouds develop when an intense fire superheats the air, causing it to ascend and form a massive smoke column, appearing cloud-like and potentially visible from hundreds of miles away.
This week, their more perilous variant, the pyrocumulonimbus cloud, which is effectively a thunderstorm fueled by fire, unleashed swift winds in multiple directions. This occurred as a smoke column from the Utah fire collapsed, explained Jess Clark, a fire team information officer.
“When these clouds climb high enough, they can generate downdrafts. That’s particularly concerning because it can quickly escalate the fire, posing significant risks to firefighters working on the ground,” Jennings mentioned to the AP.
Thomas Daniel Gibbs is missing in Grand Canyon National Park. (Getty Images/ National Park Service)
The National Park Service website says that the North Rim is closed for the remainder of the 2025 season “because of damage and losses caused by the Dragon Bravo Wildfire.”
The Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed approximately 70 structures, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, the North Rim Visitor Center, and many guest cabins, according to the agency.
“The park is currently focused on emergency stabilization to protect remaining infrastructure and natural resources. Planning is underway for the recovery and rebuilding of visitor facilities, including the Grand Canyon Lodge, although this process will take time,” the website says. “While the South Rim remains open and continues to welcome visitors, there is currently no access to the North Rim or to North Rim facilities. We understand the importance of the North Rim to our visitors, employees, and partners, and we are committed to keeping the public informed as plans for recovery progress.”
