Dragon Bravo wildfire destroys historic Grand Canyon lodge as criticism of response grows
Grand Canyon Village, Arizona - A growing wildfire at the Grand Canyon's North Rim has now charred at least 50 structures, including a historic lodge inside the popular tourist site and natural wonder, authorities said Monday.
Hundreds of firefighters working from the air and ground in Arizona are battling the so-called Dragon Bravo blaze.
More than 500 tourists and park staffers have been evacuated since the fire broke out on July 4, apparently from a lightning strike.
On Saturday night the flames intensified quickly due to sustained winds gusting at up to 40 miles per hour, the National Park Service said.
According to early assessments, the fire has burned down between 50 and 80 structures, including administrative buildings, a water treatment facility, and a historic building called Grand Canyon Lodge.
It is the only place on the North Rim inside the park where visitors can spend the night. It was rebuilt in the 1930s after being destroyed in a fire and declared a national historic monument in 1987.
Arizona grappling with multiple blazes
Burning for over a week, the Dragon Bravo fire was initially managed by federal authorities in a confine and contain strategy, rather than being tackled aggressively to try to put it out.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has criticized the approach and called for an independent probe.
"An incident of this magnitude demands intense oversight and scrutiny into the federal government's emergency response," she wrote on X.
"They must first take aggressive action to end the wildfire and prevent further damage. But Arizonans deserve answers for how this fire was allowed to decimate the Grand Canyon National Park," the Democratic governor wrote.
Authorities announced the North Rim is now closed for the remainder of the tourism season running through mid-October.
Firefighters are also battling a second blaze around 35 miles north of the Dragon Bravo fire in Kaibab National Forest.
Roads have been closed down too but the more popular South Rim of the canyon remains open.
Dozens of fires are burning in the western US as the country goes into a dry and dangerous season for wildfires.
The region faces additional challenges because President Donald Trump's administration has cut funding and staff at federal agencies that work to prevent and grapple with fires and other natural disasters.
Cover photo: Collage: REUTERS