A wildfire sparked by lightning on July 4 has now spread at the Grand Canyon, consuming both the Natinonal Park Services’ visitors’ hub and the historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the park’s Northern Rim.
National Park Service officials in Arizona opted to observe the Dragon Bravo fire rather than extinguish it after it was discovered last week. They changed their approach on July 11 and 12 when high winds in the region allowed the fire to escape the “containment features” that park officials hoped would keep the blaze at bay.
“The Dragon Bravo Fire on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park exhibited extreme and volatile fire behavior the evening of July 12, resulting in a 500-acre expansion,” the National Park Service said in a Monday update. “Fire managers have confirmed the loss of the Grand Canyon Lodge and numerous historic cabins in the developed area.”
As of Monday, the fire has grown to 3,471 acres.
Approximately 50 to 80 structures at Grand Canyon National Park have been destroyed, and thousands of visitors and firefighters in the area have been ordered to evacuate.
Along with the White Sage fire, which is also burning in the region, a total of 45,000 acres has been burned as of July 13.
Keypoints
- Tourists mourn historic Grand Canyon lodge burned to the ground by wildfire
- Wildfires force evacuations at Grand Canyon and Black Canyon of the Gunnison parks
- Governor Katie Hobbs says she's "saddened" by the widfire destruction, calls for federal investigation
- North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park to remain closed for duration of 2025 season
U.S. Interior Department provides update on wildfire fighting
Tuesday 15 July 2025 00:00 , Graig GraziosiThe U.S. Department of the Interior has provided an update on its fight to contain the White Sage and Dragon Bravo fires in Arizona.
“We are grateful to the wildland firefighters working around the clock to protect Grand Canyon National Park. Their efforts are focused on combatting the wildfire, suppressing its spread, and protecting lives and property,” the department said in a social media statement.
“The fire is being managed with an aggressive full suppression strategy. Fire behavior remains very active, driven by hot temperatures, low relative humidity, and strong wind gusts. Due to continued fire activity and ongoing risks to personnel and infrastructure, the North Rim will remain closed until it is determined safe for visitors to return.”
The fire is being managed with an aggressive full suppression strategy. Fire behavior remains very active, driven by hot temperatures, low relative humidity, and strong wind gusts. Due to continued fire activity and ongoing risks to personnel and infrastructure, the North Rim… pic.twitter.com/n1kLQhU5Uy
— US Department of the Interior (@Interior) July 14, 2025
WATCH: Hobbs critical of feds' response to Dragon Bravo Fire
Monday 14 July 2025 22:31 , Graig GraziosiDepartment of the Interior defends its burn practices after Dragon Bravo fire leaps containment
Monday 14 July 2025 21:00 , Graig GraziosiThe Department of the Interior has defended its decision not to immediately move to fight the Dragon Bravo fire, which started on July 4 before expanding on July 12 and destroying National Park buildings, including the Grand Canyon Lodge.
On Monday, Elizabeth Peace gave the Washington Post an explanation of the department’s rationale in an email.
“The allegation that this fire was managed as a controlled burn is not at all accurate and our wildland fire experts certainly know the difference,” she said.
She went on to say that the department “takes the threat of wildfires with the utmost seriousness and is committed to protecting lives, communities, and treasured public lands through science-driven fire management and rapid response.”
Both Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and Senator Ruben Gallego have called for investigations into the federal response to the fire.
Aerial firefighters drop 180,000 gallons of fire retardant on White Sage Fire
Monday 14 July 2025 20:00 , Graig GraziosiFirefighting airplanes were used to drop approximately 180,000 gallons of fire retardant on the White Sage Fire to help support ground firefighting crews.
The White Sage fire is currently zero percent contained, and has spread across 49,286 acres. Approximately 500 responders have been deployed to fight the blaze.
WATCH: Dragon Bravo Fire destroys historic North Rim lodge
Monday 14 July 2025 19:32 , Graig GraziosiCompany operating Grand Canyon Lodge issued statement after wildfire consumes historic building
Monday 14 July 2025 18:30 , Graig GraziosiThe Grand Canyon Lodge was operated by a company called Aramark for the National Parks Service.
The company issued a statement acknowledging the burning of the lodge.
"We are devastated by the loss of the Grand Canyon Lodge and numerous other historic buildings at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim," Debbie Albert, an Aramark spokesperson, said. "We are grateful that all of our employees and guests have been safely evacuated, and we join the National Park Service in mourning the loss of these iconic and beloved structures."
WATCH: Dragon Bravo Fire destroys historic North Rim lodge
Monday 14 July 2025 18:00 , Graig GraziosiLOOK: National Parks Service shares a map showing the Dragon Bravo fire's expansion
Monday 14 July 2025 17:00 , Graig Graziosi
Senator calls for an investigation into National Parks Service's early fire response
Monday 14 July 2025 16:00 , Graig GraziosiSenator Ruben Gallego and Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs said they planned to investigate the National Parks Service’s early response to the Drago Bravo fire to determine what impact, if any, it had on the blaze’s eventually spread.
“Because of the Dragon Bravo Fire, Arizona lost more than a historic lodge, it lost a piece of our state history,” Gallego wrote on X. “As Governor Hobbs has rightly called for, there must be a comprehensive, independent investigation into the handling of fire and the rationale for treating it as a controlled burn— especially as Arizona experiences the driest, hardest part of summer. I will do my part on the federal level to get answers.”
Because of the Dragon Bravo Fire, Arizona lost more than a historic lodge, it lost a piece of our state history.
— Senator Ruben Gallego (@SenRubenGallego) July 14, 2025
As Governor Hobbs has rightly called for, there must be a comprehensive, independent investigation into the handling of fire and the rationale for treating it as a…
Closures announced at Grand Canyon National Park
Monday 14 July 2025 15:30 , Graig GraziosiThe Dragon Bravo and White Sage fires have prompted closures across the northern edge of Grand Canyon National Park.
The closures include call of the inner corridor hiking trails, all campgrounds and all other interior areas including the North and South Kaibab Trails, the Phantom Ranch, and Bright Angel Trail below Havasupai Gardens, according to the NPS.
Grand Canyon wildfires in photos
Monday 14 July 2025 15:00 , Graig Graziosi
Wildfires force evacuations at Grand Canyon and Black Canyon of the Gunnison parks
Monday 14 July 2025 14:40 , Graig GraziosiVisitors and staff at two national parks in the U.S. West have been evacuated because of wildfires.
The Grand Canyon's North Rim in Arizona closed Thursday because of a wildfire on adjacent Bureau of Land Management land near Jacob Lake that began Wednesday evening after a thunderstorm moved through the area.
The Coconino County Sheriff's Office said it helped evacuate people from an area north of Jacob Lake and campers in the Kaibab National Forest nearby. The fire burned about 1.5 square miles (3.9 square kilometers) with zero containment.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, about 260 miles (418 kilometers) southwest of Denver, also closed Thursday morning after lightning sparked blazes on both rims, the park said.
READ MORE:
Grand Canyon among US national parks evacuated due to wildfires
Tourists mourn historic Grand Canyon lodge burned to the ground by wildfire
Monday 14 July 2025 14:23 , Graig GraziosiVisitors of a historic lodge on the Grand Canyon's North Rim have expressed their heartbreak online, after the structure was destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire.
“This is a devastating loss for park employees, all of us who’ve had the pleasure of staying here, and everyone who will never get a chance to see it,” one user wrote, after the National Park announced the news Sunday.
The Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging inside the park at the North Rim, was consumed by the flames, according to park Superintendent Ed Keeble. He added that the visitor center, the gas station, a waste water treatment plant, an administrative building and some employee housing also were lost to the flames.
READ MORE:
Tourists mourn historic Grand Canyon lodge burned to the ground by wildfire
