Grand Canyon lodge destroyed as wildfires threaten northern Arizona
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A firefighter stands near smoldering debris and active flames amid the charred remains of burned structures near the Grand Canyon Lodge at Grand Canyon National Park on Sunday. Photo: Grand Canyon National Park via Getty Images
The Grand Canyon Lodge was among "numerous" historic structures to burn as two wildfires in northern Arizona triggered evacuations amid hot, dry and gusty conditions, officials said Sunday.
The big picture: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) on Sunday demanded an investigation in regards to the Dragon Bravo Fire that razed the historic lodge in the Grand Canyon National Park, noting on X that "the federal government chose to manage" that blaze that started with a lightning strike "as a controlled burn during the driest, hottest part of the Arizona summer."
- Parts of the Grand Canyon National Park were closed until further notice due to the Dragon Bravo Fire, according to a National Park Service post.
By the numbers: The fire that ignited in the area of the North Rim in Grand Canyon National Park on July 4 was burning out of control over some 5,000 acres as of Sunday night, per Inciweb, an interagency website that tracks wildfires.
- The nearby White Sage Fire that began after a July 9 thunderstorm had grown to nearly 40,200 acres at 0% containment, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Threat level: Among the structures destroyed or damaged in the Dragon Bravo Fire were a water treatment facility, "numerous historic cabins" and the only lodge at the North Rim, which had been in operation since 1937, per National Park Service posts.
- It was later confirmed that chlorine gas was released from the water treatment facility that caught fire and "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," the NPS said.
- Fire activity "intensified rapidly" late Saturday, "fueled by sustained winds of 20 mph," with gusts reaching up to 40 mph, per a Grand Canyon National Park Facebook post.
- "Firefighters made significant efforts overnight to slow the fire's progression under dangerous and fast-changing conditions," according to the post.
Meanwhile, the White Sage Fire has prompted road closures and crossed Highway 89A near House Rock Valley, Ariz., the Bureau of Land Management's Arizona Fire Management said on X Sunday night.
- Firefighters tackling the blaze were facing "very extreme fire behavior due to the dry conditions, gusty and erratic winds inhibiting the ability for fire fighters on the second night, to safely engage the fire," per a U.S. Forest Service post.
- "The fire made a significant run on the afternoon of July 10, spotting, and torching due to sustained winds from 15-20 mph, fueled by extremely dry conditions, low relative humidity, and low fuel moistures. This very active fire behavior continued into the evening and into the early morning."
What we're watching: Gusty and "erratic winds" were possible in and around thunderstorms, the National Weather Service said in a Sunday forecast discussion.
- An extreme heat warning was expected to continue for the Grand Canyon below 4,000 feet through Wednesday evening "due to high temperatures of 110-115F at those lower elevations," according to the NWS.
- Representatives for the Agriculture Department and U.S. Forest Service did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment on Hobbs' investigation calls.
Between the lines: Research shows hot, dry and windy weather that helps wildfires spread is becoming more common across much of the U.S. amid climate change, per Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick.
Go deeper: Climate change made LA fires far more likely, study says
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
