GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, AZ (AP/AZFamily) — A historic lodge on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim is among the 50 to 80 structures lost as a result of a fast-moving wildfire that continues to burn out of control.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has called for an independent probe into the management of Dragon Bravo Fire because, despite the blaze being lightning-caused, the feds decided to manage it as a controlled burn “during the driest, hardest part of the Arizona summer.”
“I am calling for the federal government to conduct a comprehensive, thorough, and independent investigation into the management of the Dragon Bravo Fire, and to produce a report detailing the decisions that led to this devastating outcome,” the governor said.
Video exclusively obtained by Arizona’s Family shows the fast-moving wildfire burning near a home along the northern rim of the Grand Canyon.
The National Park Service has confirmed that, as a result of the ongoing firefight and the destruction of key infrastructure, visitor access to that side of the canyon will remain closed for the remainder of the season.
Millions of people visit Grand Canyon National Park annually, with most going to the more popular South Rim. The North Rim typically opens seasonally.
“I share the same reaction that the rest of the Grand Canyon community does and that’s just devastation and especially for the people. The people who live there, the people who work there. You know it’s only open for five months out of the year and that’s a special time,” said The Grand Canyon Hiker Dude podcast host Brian Speciale.
Arizona’s Family reporter Morgan Loew says the loss of this area from the fire is devastating for thousands of people, especially avid nature lovers.
Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Ed Keeble told park residents and staff that the Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging at the North Rim, was consumed by the flames. The visitor center, the gas station and a wastewater treatment plant were also lost.
“Because of the Dragon Bravo Fire, Arizona lost more than a historic lodge, it lost a piece of our state history,” said Sen. Ruben Gallego in a social media post.
The Grand Canyon Lodge first opened in 1928, before it burned down a few years later from a cigarette fire and a rebuild was completed in 1937.
“For over 90 years this hotel that burned down (Saturday) night was serving guests. Only about 1 in 10 people who see the grand canyon see it from the North Rim. It’s at 1,000 feet higher elevation than the South Rim so the trees are much larger and greener and as everybody is trying to wrap their head around this, it’s obvious that it’s going to take a long, long time for this to even resemble, minimally, what it has been throughout its history,” said Grand Canyon Historical Society Board Member Wayne Ranney.
Park officials said numerous historic cabins, as well as employee housing and an administrative office, were among the buildings destroyed.
No injuries have been reported; all staff and residents were evacuated before the flames spread.
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. The park initially managed it as a controlled burn but then shifted to suppression as it rapidly grew, fire officials said.
As Arizona’s Family has reported, the Dragon Bravo Fire has scorched more than 5,000 acres as of Sunday afternoon as crews continue suppression efforts toward Roaring Springs and Transept Canyons.
Map shows the perimeter of the Dragon Bravo Fire, burning near the Grand Canyon North Rim(Grand Canyon National Park)
Park officials say the blaze became extremely volatile due to windy conditions late Saturday, forcing it to grow by 500 acres overnight. Fire crews, however, weren’t able to use aerial retardant due to the chlorine gas leak at the water treatment plant.
The burning of the wastewater treatment plant resulted in the release of chlorine gas that prompted the evacuation of firefighters and hikers from the inner canyon, park officials said Sunday.
Residents of Marble Canyon, Lees Ferry, and a small area of the Navajo Nation are advised that they may experience a chlorine odor. The gas is heavier than air and can quickly settle into lower elevations such as the inner canyon, posing a health risk.
“Another tragic reminder why we must keep investing in wildfire resilience at the federal and state levels,” said Rep. Greg Stanton in a social media post.
“I am incredibly saddened by the destruction of the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, and my heart goes out to every person impacted by the Dragon Bravo Fire near the Grand Canyon’s North Rim. As someone who was born and raised in Arizona, I know what the Grand Canyon National Park means to so many people, not just in Arizona, but all over the world,” Gov. Hobbs said in part.
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