Grand Canyon fire cause revealed as historic lodge burns and governor demands investigation: Live updates

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has called on the federal government to investigate the National Park Service’s response to the wildfires that ravaged the Grand Canyon’s North Rim.

‘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, which was ignited on the Fourth of July by lightning strikes, was initially allowed to continue burning.

Authorities managed the blaze with a ‘confine and contain’ strategy to clear fuel sources.

However, the fire rapidly grew at night, when aerial resources are unable to conduct retardant and water drops, according to officials. On July 11, the Dragon Bravo Fire was driven by strong northwest wind gusts, uncommon to the area, and jumped multiple containment features.

Several structures were damaged, including the iconic Grand Canyon Lodge and a water treatment facility.

The Grand Canyon Lodge, known for its huge ponderosa beams, massive limestone facade, and a bronze statue of a donkey named ‘Brighty the Burro,’ was perched on the edge of the North Rim and offered sweeping views of the canyon.

The lodge is a designated landmark that was built in 1928 by the Utah Parks Company.

It is renowned for its stunning architecture and its location, which offers breathtaking views of the vast Grand Canyon.

The Grand Canyon Lodge is often the first prominent feature that visitors see, even before they view the canyon.

The original lodge burned down from a kitchen fire in 1932, according to the Grand Canyon Historical Society. It reopened in 1937 using the original stonework.

Accommodations at the lodge were available from May 15 through October 15 each year.

The Grand Canyon Lodge resort complex consisted of the Main Lodge building, 23 deluxe cabins, and 91 standard cabins, some of which were moved to the north rim campground in 1940.

Arizona residents described the devastation done to the Grand Canyon’s North Rim as they mourned the loss of some of the iconic structures, including the historic lodge.

‘When the smoke cleared, you look where the North Rim Lodge should be and it was gone,’ Keaton Vanderploeg, a Grand Canyon tour guide, told News 12.

‘Pretty much anyone alive today, if they’ve been to the North Rim edge of the canyon, they’ve experienced going into that lodge, going down the stairs and your first view of the canyon is from in the lodge itself.’

‘It’s just really devastating,’ Coconino County Supervisor Lena Fowler said. ‘It’s an icon. It’s the American icon that draws people to the region.’

The National Park Service announced additional closures at the Grand Canyon on Monday due to the Dragon Bravo Fire.

The Grand Canyon’s North Rim will be closed for the remainder of the season, which ends on October 15.

Several additional trails, campgrounds and areas have been closed until further notice, including:

• North Kaibab Trail
• South Kaibab Trail
• Phantom Ranch
• Bright Angel Trail below Havasupai Gardens
• River Trail between Pipe Creek and the South Kaibab
• Tonto East between Havasupai Garden and Tip Off

The Dragon Bravo Fire has scorched through 5,716 acres in the Grand Canyon’s North Rim and is at zero percent containment as of Monday.

‘Fire activity on the Dragon Bravo Fire remains high-to-extreme with heavy fire activity occurring overnight,’ the National Interagency Fire Center said.

‘More than 70 structures on the North Rim, including the Grand Canyon Lodge, were lost during the weekend’s fire activity.’

The Southwest Area Complex Incident Management Team 4 took command of the fire at 6.00am MT and is working to preserve the remaining structures on the North Rim.

Poisonious chlorine gas was released into the air after the North Rim water treatment facility was set ablaze by the Dragon Bravo Fire.

Due to the risk of exposure, park authorities immediately evacuated firefighters from the North Rim and hikers from the inner canyon and closed access to specific areas within the inner canyon.

Chlorine gas is toxic and heavier than air, making it easier for it to settle in lower elevations, such as the inner canyon, where river rafters and hikers frequently visit.

Exposure can cause acute damage to the upper and lower respiratory tracts, including violent coughing, nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, headache and chest pain, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Fans of the historic Grand Canyon Lodge shared heartfelt tributes to the iconic spot after it was destroyed in the Bravo Dragon Fire over the weekend.

Two blazes – the Dragon Bravo Fire and the White Sage Fire – have ravaged northern Arizona near the Grand Canyon’s North Rim.

Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego joined Gov. Katie Hobbs in calling for a federal investigation into the efforts to contain the blazes that have ravaged the Grand Canyon.

The Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging complex in the park’s North Rim, was destroyed by the Dragon Bravo Fire.

The lodge was first built in 1928 by the Utah Parks Company and had since been named a landmark.

The highway ends at the lodge, and it is often the first prominent feature that visitors see, even before laying their eyes on the canyon.

Grand Canyon Lodge offered stays in historic cabins and motel rooms, and its dining room featured breakfast, lunch and dinner menus showcasing regional cuisines.

Portions of the Grand Canyon National Park have been closed due to the Dragon Bravo Fire.

The North Rim will be closed for the remainder of the season, which ends on October 15, while the South Rim remains open and operational.

Due to a potential chlorine gas leak related to the fire, several trails, including the North Kaibab Trail, South Kaibab Trail and Phantom Ranch Area, are closed.

The White Sage Fire, burning in northern Arizona near Jacob Lake, is estimated to be nearly 50,000 acres with zero percent containment as of Monday morning.

‘The fire experienced extreme fire behavior [Sunday], primarily driven by north/northwest winds, which pushed the fire southward across Highway 89A near House Rock Valley,’ the National Interagency Fire Center said.

‘This southern flank became the most active edge of the fire, with intense runs through grass, brush, and timber, along with torching and running fire behavior.’

On Sunday, firefighters used Very Large Air Tankers (VLATs) and Single Engine Airtankers (SEATs) to drop 179,597 gallons of retardant along the southern and northern perimeter.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is located in northern Arizona on the Kaibab Plateau.

Open between May 15 to October 25, the North Rim is over 8,000 feet in elevation, according to the National Park Service.

Also known as the ‘other side’ of the Grand Canyon, the North Rim is visited by only 10 percent of park visitors.

Visitors at the Mather Point Overlook on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon snapped photos of the plumes of smoke rising from the Dragon Bravo Fire on Sunday.

The out-of-control blaze from the Dragon Bravo Fire caused the park’s water treatment plant to go up in flames.

Because of that, chlorine gas has been released into the air, officials confirmed after firefighters responded to the scene on the North Rim around 3.30pm Saturday.

Chlorine gas is toxic and heavier than air, making it easier for it to settle in lower elevations, such as the inner canyon, where river rafters and hikers frequent.

Due to the gas leak from the Dragon Bravo Fire, officials evacuated firefighters from the North Rim and got hikers out of the inner canyon for their own safety.

The Dragon Bravo Fire was sparked on the Fourth of July as a result of a lightning strike within Grand Canyon National Park.

Authorities initially managed the blaze with a ‘confine and contain’ strategy to clear fuel sources.

However, the fire rapidly grew at night, when aerial resources are unable to conduct retardant and water drops, according to officials.

On July 11, the Dragon Bravo Fire was driven by strong northwest wind gusts, uncommon to the area, and jumped multiple containment features.

Several structures were damaged, including the iconic Grand Canyon Lodge and a water treatment facility.

A Complex Incident Management Team has been ordered and will assume command of the Dragon Bravo Fire on July 14.

The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for the Grand Canyon, effective until 7.00pm MT on Wednesday.

Dangerously hot conditions are forecasted for the lower elevations of the Grand Canyon, with daytime temperatures ranging from 106 degrees at Havasupai Gardens to 115 degrees at Phantom Ranch.

‘Day hikers on Bright Angel Trail should descend no farther than 1 1/2 miles from the upper trailhead,’ the National Weather Service said.

‘Between the hours of 10am and 4pm, hikers should be out of the canyon or at Havasupai Gardens or Bright Angel campgrounds. Physical activity is discouraged.’

Extreme heat warnings are reserved for the hottest days of the year and are issued when temperatures are expected to rise to dangerously high levels.

The Dragon Bravo Fire has consumed 5,000 acres of the Grand Canyon National Park since it was ignited by lightning strikes on July 4.

The Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging complex in the park’s North Rim, was ravaged by the blaze.

Roughly 50 to 80 of the lodge’s buildings were wrecked, including its visitor center, a gas station, its waste water treatment plant, an administrative building and some employee housing.

The National Park Service closed the Grand Canyon’s North Rim for the 2025 season due to the Dragon Bravo Fire.

The North Rim’s season opened on May 15 and was set to close on October 15.

The following inner canyon corridor trails, campgrounds and associated areas are closed until further notice:

• North Kaibab Trail
• South Kaibab Trail
• Phantom Ranch
• Bright Angel Trail below Havasupai Gardens

A thick blanket of black smoke has consumed the Midwest after two fires broke out within 30 miles from each other – bringing deadly chlorine gas with it.

Chlorine gas is toxic and heavier than air, making it easier for it to settle in lower elevations like the inner canyon where river rafters and hikers frequent.

Two wildfires are burning at or near the North Rim, known as the White Sage Fire and the Dragon Bravo Fire. The latter is the one that impacted the lodge and other structures.

Started by lightning on July 4, the Dragon Bravo Fire was initially managed by authorities with a ‘confine and contain’ strategy to clear fuel sources.

They shifted to aggressive suppression a week later, as the fire rapidly grew to 7.8 square miles due to hot temperatures, low humidity and strong wind gusts, fire officials said.

Approximately 45,000 acres of land have been destroyed by the fires as of Sunday, with no reported injuries.

Park Superintendent Ed Keable said the visitor center, the gas station, a wastewater treatment plant, an administrative building and some employee housing were among the 50 to 80 structures lost.

Portions of the Grand Canyon National Park have been closed due to the Dragon Bravo Fire.

The North Rim will be closed for the remainder of the season, which ends on October 15, while the South Rim remains open and operational.

Due to a potential chlorine gas leak related to the fire, several trails, including the North Kaibab Trail, South Kaibab Trail and Phantom Ranch Area are closed.

The Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging inside the park at the North Rim, was consumed by the flames from the Bravo Dragon Fire.

The lodge is a designated landmark that was built in 1928 by the Utah Parks Company.

It has become known for its stunning architecture and its location, which offers sweeping views of the vast Grand Canyon.

The Grand Canyon Lodge was often the first prominent feature that visitors see, even before viewing the canyon.

‘It just feels like you’re a pioneer when you walk through there [the lodge],’ Tim Allen of Flagstaff said. ‘It really felt like you were in a time gone by…It’s heartbreaking.’

Aramark, the company that operated the lodge, said all employees and guests were safely evacuated.

‘As stewards of some our country’s most beloved national treasures, we are devastated by the loss,’ lodge spokesperson Debbie Albert said.