- Multiple structures, including a historic lodge at the Grand Canyon's North Rim, have been destroyed in a wildfire.
- There are two wildfires burning near the national park, the Dragon Bravo Fire and the White Sage Fire.
- The North Rim has been closed for the remainder of the season.
A historic lodge and dozens of other structures on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim have been destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire, prompting officials to close access to the area.
The Grand Canyon Lodge was consumed by the flames, along with the visitor center, the gas station, a wastewater treatment plant, an administrative building, numerous historic cabins and some employee housing. A total of 50-80 buildings were destroyed, per The Associated Press.
Following the destruction from the fires, park officials have closed the North Rim, which is only open seasonally, for the rest of the year. The North Rim is a more isolated and less populated part of the park and draws only around 10% of the Grand Canyon’s millions of annual visitors.
“We are devastated by the loss of Grand Canyon Lodge and historic buildings on the North Rim,” read a statement from the National Park Service, per USA Today.
Wildfires burning near the Grand Canyon
The Dragon Bravo Fire that destroyed the structures is one of two wildfires burning at or near the North Rim. The other is the White Sage Fire.
The Dragon Bravo Fire was started by lightning on July 4 and was initially managed by authorities with a “confine and contain” strategy which includes clearing fuel sources, per the AP.
The firefighting strategy shifted to aggressive suppression a week later because it rapidly grew to 7.8 square miles thanks to hot temperatures, low humidity and strong wind gusts.
No injuries or fatalities were reported from the fires.
Combined, the two fires have burned around 45,000 acres of land as of Monday, per USA Today.
The history of the lodge that burned down
The Grand Canyon Lodge was the only lodging inside the park’s North Rim. The company that operated the lodge, Aramark, reported that all employees and guests were safely evacuated.
The lodge is known for its “huge ponderosa beams, massive limestone facade and a bronze statue of a donkey named “Brighty the Burro,’” per The AP. It was perched on the edge of the North Rim and featured wide views of the canyon.
An original lodge structure burned down in 1932 from a kitchen fire, four years after its construction was completed. The redesigned lodge opened in 1937, and used the original stonework.
The lodge property was made up of the main lodge building as well as 23 deluxe cabins and over 90 regular cabins, per USA Today.
Arizona officials react to destruction at the Grand Canyon
Following the announcement of the destruction at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs posted on X about the devastating destruction.
“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,” Hobbs wrote.
She also called on the federal government to conduct an investigation into the management of the fire and the decisions that led to this outcome.
”An incident of this magnitude demands intense oversight and scrutiny into the federal government’s emergency response,“ Hobbs’ post on X continued. ”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."
Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., posted on X echoing the same sentiment and the governor.
“Because of the Dragon Bravo Fire, Arizona lost more than a historic lodge, it lost a piece of our state history,” he wrote.
He also agreed with Hobbs’ call for a comprehensive investigation into the fire’s management.