A wildfire ravaged the Grand Canyon’s North Rim on Sunday, demolishing the historic Grand Canyon Lodge and numerous other buildings, leading authorities to close the area for the remainder of the season.
The Dragon Bravo Fire consumed the lodge, visitor center, gas station, wastewater treatment plant, administrative offices, and employee residences, as reported by park Superintendent Ed Keable. The National Park Service (NPS) estimates that between 50 and 80 structures were destroyed.
No injuries were reported. All staff and residents cleared the area before the fire advanced, NPS said.
The Dragon Bravo Fire was ignited by lightning on July 4. Initially, authorities adopted a “confine and contain” approach. However, a week later, due to extreme heat, low humidity, and strong winds, officials switched to a full suppression strategy as the fire expanded, burning 7.8 square miles.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs called on the federal government late Sunday to investigate the NPS’s response to the wildfire and deliver a report “detailing the decisions that led to this devastating outcome.”
“They must first take aggressive action to end the wildfire and prevent further damage,” she said in a post on X. “But Arizonans deserve answers for how this fire was allowed to decimate the Grand Canyon National Park.”
The Dragon Bravo Fire on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park has scorched 7.8 square miles. (National Park Service)
Meanwhile, firefighters made progress on a second blaze north of the canyon. Containment lines held on the White Sage Fire, which had forced evacuations at the North Rim and the community of Jacob Lake. By Sunday afternoon, it had burned 63 square miles.
