Spreading Grand Canyon fire destroys historic lodge
Hundreds of firefighters working from the air and ground in Arizona are battling the so-called Dragon Bravo blaze.
More than 500 tourists and park staffers have been evacuated since the fire broke out on July 4, apparently from a lightning strike.
On Saturday night the flames intensified quickly due to sustained winds gusting at up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) per hour, the National Park Service said.
According to early assessments, the fire has burned down between 50 and 80 structures, including administrative buildings, a water treatment facility, and a historic building called Grand Canyon Lodge.
It is the only place on the North Rim inside the park where visitors can spend the night. It was rebuilt in the 1930s after being destroyed in a fire and declared a national historic monument in 1987.
Burning for over a week, the fire was initially managed by federal authorities in a confine and contain strategy -- rather than being tackled aggressively to try to put it out.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has criticized the approach and called for an independent probe.
"An incident of this magnitude demands intense oversight and scrutiny into the federal government's emergency response," she wrote on X.
"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," the Democratic governor wrote.
Authorities announced the North Rim is now closed for the remainder of the tourism season running through mid-October.
Firefighters are also battling a second blaze around 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of the Dragon Bravo fire in Kaibab National Forest.
Roads have been closed down too but the more popular South Rim of the canyon remains open.
Dozens of fires are burning in the western United States as the country goes into a dry and dangerous season for wildfires.
The region faces additional challenges because the Trump administration has cut funding and staff at federal agencies that work to prevent and grapple with fires and other natural disasters.
One of the greatest wonders of the natural world, the Grand Canyon is the result of the Colorado River eating away at layers of red sandstone and other rock for millions of years, leaving a chasm up to 18 miles wide and more than a mile deep.
Last year almost five million people visited the world-famous site.
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Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
The Grand Canyon Lodge was an elusive getaway for nearly a century. Now it's gone
The nearly century-old Grand Canyon Lodge in far northern Arizona was a refuge for ambitious hikers and adventurous tourists eager to bask in the magnificent views of one of the most remote and renowned landscapes in the world. But a wind-whipped wildfire reduced it to a skeleton of itself within hours over the weekend, devastating the many who saw it as an intrinsic part of the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Fortified with Kaibab limestone and logs from the surrounding Ponderosa pine forest, it sat at the edge of the canyon, blending in and enhancing the natural environment. 'It's tragic, it really is,' retired National Park Service chief historian Robert K. Sutton said Monday. The lodge itself told a key part of history for both the Grand Canyon and the National Park Service. Gilbert Stanley Underwood, who designed the lodge in 1927, sought to immerse residents in the landscape that now draws millions of visitors annually from around the world with a rustic, organic architectural style. He designed similar lodges in Zion and Bryce national parks in Utah, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Yosemite National Park in California, according to the park service. The Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging within the canyon's North Rim, was built at a time when the federal department was eager to find ways to engage the public with the country's best natural offerings, Sutton said. For a place as remote as the North Rim, that wasn't an easy task. The lodge was a winding 212-mile (341-kilometer) drive from the more popular South Rim where 90% of the tourists go. Hiking from one side to the other is even more arduous at over 20 miles (32 kilometers) with steep ascents at the end. But the historic building's tranquility is a fundamental part of its appeal. 'You're just on your own. It's just a completely different atmosphere,' Sutton said. The drive up to the North Rim was a chance to see a bison herd that roams the far reaches of northern Arizona. The highway ended at the Grand Canyon Lodge, built right up to the edge of the rim. Across the lobby inside and down the stairs, visitors got a picturesque view of the Grand Canyon framed through the windows of the 'Sun Room' furnished with plush couches. Navajo woven rugs hung on the walls and elaborate light fixtures from the ceilings. In the corner of the room sat Brighty, a burro that lived at the canyon and inspired a children's book, immortalized in a statue as a sort of mascot for the North Rim. Jen Pinegan, 47, trained for months to hike from the South Rim to the North Rim in May 2024. She started before the sun came up to avoid what can be ruthless Arizona heat. After 12 grueling hours, she arrived at the North Rim, stayed the night at the Grand Canyon Lodge and awoke to a view she she said had 'an indescribable magic to it.' Others hikers were celebrating, too, creating an 'electric' atmosphere as they soaked in the views, she said. 'I think there's what made it more incredible, is knowing that a lot of people don't see it," Pinegan said. She returned to the lodge for the Fourth of July weekend to take her youngest daughter and two step sons to lunch at the restaurant known for its elk chili. She said she was brought to tears when she heard it burned down. For those who enjoy a good road trip, like Erik Ammerlaan, the lodge had an elusive appeal. He's traveled to roughly 30 countries but counts his stay at the Grand Canyon Lodge in 2016 as one of his most memorable trips. 'It was like you were looking at this movie, but its just nature," he said. "You're really just one with nature' The lightning-caused wildfire that consumed the lodge and dozens of other structures at the North Rim began July 4. The National Park Service had been managing it to clear the landscape of fuel when winds shifted and it made a run toward the lodge. Hundreds of people were evacuated. The blaze wasn't the first time the lodge was destroyed. In September 1932, just five years after it opened, lodge employees and residents watched as a kitchen fire grew and overtook the structure, according to the park service. It was rebuilt in 1938. Sutton, the retired park service historian, and others are optimistic the Grand Canyon Lodge will get a new life. 'I suspect it will regenerate,' he said. ___ Riddle is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Hamilton Spectator
6 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
The Grand Canyon Lodge was an elusive getaway for nearly a century. Now it's gone
The nearly century-old Grand Canyon Lodge in far northern Arizona was a refuge for ambitious hikers and adventurous tourists eager to bask in the magnificent views of one of the most remote and renowned landscapes in the world. But a wind-whipped wildfire reduced it to a skeleton of itself within hours over the weekend, devastating the many who saw it as an intrinsic part of the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Fortified with Kaibab limestone and logs from the surrounding Ponderosa pine forest, it sat at the edge of the canyon, blending in and enhancing the natural environment. 'It's tragic, it really is,' retired National Park Service chief historian Robert K. Sutton said Monday. The lodge itself told a key part of history for both the Grand Canyon and the National Park Service. Gilbert Stanley Underwood, who designed the lodge in 1927, sought to immerse residents in the landscape that now draws millions of visitors annually from around the world with a rustic, organic architectural style. He designed similar lodges in Zion and Bryce national parks in Utah, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Yosemite National Park in California, according to the park service. The Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging within the canyon's North Rim, was built at a time when the federal department was eager to find ways to engage the public with the country's best natural offerings, Sutton said. For a place as remote as the North Rim, that wasn't an easy task. The lodge was a winding 212-mile (341-kilometer) drive from the more popular South Rim where 90% of the tourists go. Hiking from one side to the other is even more arduous at over 20 miles (32 kilometers) with steep ascents at the end. But the historic building's tranquility is a fundamental part of its appeal. 'You're just on your own. It's just a completely different atmosphere,' Sutton said. The drive up to the North Rim was a chance to see a bison herd that roams the far reaches of northern Arizona. The highway ended at the Grand Canyon Lodge, built right up to the edge of the rim. Across the lobby inside and down the stairs, visitors got a picturesque view of the Grand Canyon framed through the windows of the 'Sun Room' furnished with plush couches. Navajo woven rugs hung on the walls and elaborate light fixtures from the ceilings. In the corner of the room sat Brighty, a burro that lived at the canyon and inspired a children's book, immortalized in a statue as a sort of mascot for the North Rim. Jen Pinegan, 47, trained for months to hike from the South Rim to the North Rim in May 2024. She started before the sun came up to avoid what can be ruthless Arizona heat. After 12 grueling hours, she arrived at the North Rim, stayed the night at the Grand Canyon Lodge and awoke to a view she she said had 'an indescribable magic to it.' Others hikers were celebrating, too, creating an 'electric' atmosphere as they soaked in the views, she said. 'I think there's what made it more incredible, is knowing that a lot of people don't see it,' Pinegan said. She returned to the lodge for the Fourth of July weekend to take her youngest daughter and two step sons to lunch at the restaurant known for its elk chili. She said she was brought to tears when she heard it burned down. For those who enjoy a good road trip, like Erik Ammerlaan, the lodge had an elusive appeal. He's traveled to roughly 30 countries but counts his stay at the Grand Canyon Lodge in 2016 as one of his most memorable trips. 'It was like you were looking at this movie, but its just nature,' he said. 'You're really just one with nature' The lightning-caused wildfire that consumed the lodge and dozens of other structures at the North Rim began July 4. The National Park Service had been managing it to clear the landscape of fuel when winds shifted and it made a run toward the lodge. Hundreds of people were evacuated. The blaze wasn't the first time the lodge was destroyed. In September 1932, just five years after it opened, lodge employees and residents watched as a kitchen fire grew and overtook the structure, according to the park service. It was rebuilt in 1938. Sutton, the retired park service historian, and others are optimistic the Grand Canyon Lodge will get a new life. 'I suspect it will regenerate,' he said. ___ Riddle is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
San Francisco Chronicle
6 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
The Grand Canyon Lodge was an elusive getaway for nearly a century. Now it's gone
The nearly century-old Grand Canyon Lodge in far northern Arizona was a refuge for ambitious hikers and adventurous tourists eager to bask in the magnificent views of one of the most remote and renowned landscapes in the world. But a wind-whipped wildfire reduced it to a skeleton of itself within hours over the weekend, devastating the many who saw it as an intrinsic part of the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Fortified with Kaibab limestone and logs from the surrounding Ponderosa pine forest, it sat at the edge of the canyon, blending in and enhancing the natural environment. 'It's tragic, it really is,' retired National Park Service chief historian Robert K. Sutton said Monday. The lodge itself told a key part of history for both the Grand Canyon and the National Park Service. Gilbert Stanley Underwood, who designed the lodge in 1927, sought to immerse residents in the landscape that now draws millions of visitors annually from around the world with a rustic, organic architectural style. He designed similar lodges in Zion and Bryce national parks in Utah, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Yosemite National Park in California, according to the park service. The Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging within the canyon's North Rim, was built at a time when the federal department was eager to find ways to engage the public with the country's best natural offerings, Sutton said. For a place as remote as the North Rim, that wasn't an easy task. The lodge was a winding 212-mile (341-kilometer) drive from the more popular South Rim where 90% of the tourists go. Hiking from one side to the other is even more arduous at over 20 miles (32 kilometers) with steep ascents at the end. But the historic building's tranquility is a fundamental part of its appeal. 'You're just on your own. It's just a completely different atmosphere,' Sutton said. The drive up to the North Rim was a chance to see a bison herd that roams the far reaches of northern Arizona. The highway ended at the Grand Canyon Lodge, built right up to the edge of the rim. Across the lobby inside and down the stairs, visitors got a picturesque view of the Grand Canyon framed through the windows of the 'Sun Room' furnished with plush couches. Navajo woven rugs hung on the walls and elaborate light fixtures from the ceilings. In the corner of the room sat Brighty, a burro that lived at the canyon and inspired a children's book, immortalized in a statue as a sort of mascot for the North Rim. Jen Pinegan, 47, trained for months to hike from the South Rim to the North Rim in May 2024. She started before the sun came up to avoid what can be ruthless Arizona heat. After 12 grueling hours, she arrived at the North Rim, stayed the night at the Grand Canyon Lodge and awoke to a view she she said had 'an indescribable magic to it.' Others hikers were celebrating, too, creating an 'electric' atmosphere as they soaked in the views, she said. 'I think there's what made it more incredible, is knowing that a lot of people don't see it," Pinegan said. She returned to the lodge for the Fourth of July weekend to take her youngest daughter and two step sons to lunch at the restaurant known for its elk chili. She said she was brought to tears when she heard it burned down. For those who enjoy a good road trip, like Erik Ammerlaan, the lodge had an elusive appeal. He's traveled to roughly 30 countries but counts his stay at the Grand Canyon Lodge in 2016 as one of his most memorable trips. 'It was like you were looking at this movie, but its just nature," he said. "You're really just one with nature' The lightning-caused wildfire that consumed the lodge and dozens of other structures at the North Rim began July 4. The National Park Service had been managing it to clear the landscape of fuel when winds shifted and it made a run toward the lodge. Hundreds of people were evacuated. The blaze wasn't the first time the lodge was destroyed. In September 1932, just five years after it opened, lodge employees and residents watched as a kitchen fire grew and overtook the structure, according to the park service. It was rebuilt in 1938. 'I suspect it will regenerate,' he said. ___
