It took one week for a naturally occurring wildfire at Grand Canyon National Park to grow from a low-level threat to a full-on disaster. On July 4, a lightning strike ignited a wildfire on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
A few days later, park officials said they were “monitoring” the 10-acre blaze, and would manage it as a controlled burn to “maintain a healthy, resilient landscape in the fire-adapted ecosystem of the North Rim.”
The blaze, named the Dragon Bravo Fire, spiraled out of control. A week from the initial lightning strike, authorities switched to active suppression, but it may have been too late. Combined with another wildfire even further north, the two blazes have now burned more than 55,000 acres, much of that within the national park.
Between 50 and 80 structures have been lost, including the Grand Canyon Lodge. Built in 1937, it was the North Rim’s only lodging.
No injuries or casualties have been reported so far. However, the entire North Rim and numerous trails are closed for the remainder of the 2025 season. Now, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs is calling for an investigation into the National Park Service.
“An incident of this magnitude demands intense oversight and scrutiny into the federal government’s emergency response,” Hobbs wrote on X on Sunday. “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.”
Dragon Bravo Wildfire Decimates Grand Canyon National Park
With about 5 million annual visitors, the Grand Canyon is the nation’s third most popular national park. Most of those visitors arrive at the park’s South Rim, as the North Rim closes for the winter.
Many hikers and campers visit the North Rim for its remote setting and thinner crowds. It’s also a waypoint for ambitious hikers aiming to hike across the canyon and back again. But after this weekend’s fire, the entire area — and many trails that lead there — have been closed for the remainder of the season.
Toxic Air Foils Fire Response
All North Rim visitors were evacuated last week, and the park’s employees were eventually forced to leave this weekend. The Dragon Bravo Fire exploded into a far more volatile blaze on July 12, driven by wind gusts reaching 40 mph. That’s the day it reached the North Rim’s water treatment facility. The facility caught fire and released chlorine gas into the air.
“Chlorine gas is heavier than air and can quickly settle into lower elevations such as the inner canyon, posing a health risk,” park officials said Sunday in a release.
As a result, firefighters from the North Rim and hikers in the inner canyon were forced to evacuate. The gas leak also prevented the use of aerial retardant to slow the fire’s movement toward the Grand Canyon Lodge, according to park officials.
The potentially toxic air even prompted changes to the canyon’s popular rafting trips. They were told to bypass Phantom Ranch, which has a set of cabins and dormitories along the river.
“Residents in Marble Canyon, Lees Ferry, and a small area of the Navajo Nation may detect the smell of chlorine in the near future,” Grand Canyon National Park said in a statement. “The park will provide more information as soon as it is available.”
Questions About Federal Response
In her response to the wildfire, Gov. Hobbs called for a federal investigation into the handling of the blaze. Hobbs wants “a report detailing the decisions that led to this devastating outcome.” Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego agreed.
“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,” Gallego wrote on X on Sunday.
Since President Trump took office in January, his goal of shrinking the federal government has included massive cuts to the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and many other agencies charged with protecting public lands. Early on, Trump said that public safety positions, like wildland firefighters, would not be included in his cuts.
However, ProPublica reported in February that Trump has fired hundreds of federal employees who support firefighters during blazes like the Dragon Bravo Fire. Trump’s freezes on hiring and spending within federal land agencies may also have impacts on the government’s ability to respond to fires, according to the report.
Many commenters on both Hobbs and Gallego’s posts attacked the Democrats for calling for an investigation. They often ridiculed the idea that reduced government spending could have played a part in the disaster.
Historic Grand Canyon Lodge Burns Down
As for the Grand Canyon Lodge, the loss of the historic building was devastating, the lodge’s owners said in a statement.
“As stewards of some of our country’s most beloved national treasures, we are devastated by the loss of the Grand Canyon Lodge and numerous other historic buildings at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim,” the lodge owners said. “It is with heavy hearts that we share this devastating news.”
Social media was flooded with posts about the lodge, as people reminisced about their experiences there. Built in 1927, the lodge was nearing its 100-year anniversary. As the only lodging on the North Rim, it was a place that many visitors had stayed at and remembered fondly. Its loss saddened many.
However, the building has risen from the ashes once before. In 1932, a kitchen fire burned down the main lodge and two of the original cabins. It was rebuilt in 1937. The structure remained until the Dragon Bravo fire burned it down again 88 years later.
GearJunkie contacted Grand Canyon National Park and the Grand Canyon Conservancy, but didn’t hear back on Monday.
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