Latest news with #CoconinoCountySheriff
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Wildfires destroy historic lodge on Grand Canyon's North Rim, park says
A historic lodge on the Grand Canyon's North Rim has been destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire, the park said Sunday. The Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging inside the park at the North Rim, was consumed by the flames, park Superintendent Ed Keable told park residents, staff and others in a meeting Sunday morning. He said the visitor center, the gas station, a waste water treatment plant, an administrative building and some employee housing also were lost. Two wildfires are burning at or near the North Rim, known as the White Sage fire and the Bravo Dragon fire, and have collectively burned more than 45,000 acres. The White Sage fire burned 40,126 acres near the North Rim, while the Dragon Bravo fire, burning to the south within Grand Canyon National Park, reached 5,000 acres according to InciWeb, a federal government wildfire tracker. The Bravo Dragon fire is the one that impacted the lodge and other structures. The park initially was managing it as a controlled burn but then shifted to suppression as it rapidly grew, fire officials said. It was sparked by lightning on 4 July. After a thunderstorm on 9 July, the US Bureau of Land Management began receiving reports of smoke in the area of the White Sage fire. On Friday, the Coconino county sheriff's office reported that the whole region was under evacuation and urged residents to leave immediately. Millions of people visit Grand Canyon National Park annually, with most going to the more popular South Rim. The North Rim is open seasonally. It was evacuated last Thursday because of wildfire. The burning of the water 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. Chlorine gas is heavier than air and can quickly settle into lower elevations such as the inner canyon, posing a health risk. Meanwhile, officials reported progress in battling a second wildfire burning north of the Grand Canyon. Fire lines on the White Sage Fire that forced evacuations at the North Rim and in the community of Jacob Lake were holding, officials said. On the southern edge of the fire, hand crews and bulldozers were working uphill, and the spread of the blaze had been minimal. But to the east and north, the fire has spread rapidly, with grasses and standing dead trees contributing to the fire's intensity, officials said. The fire was pushing downhill toward the Vermilion Cliffs area, and crews were assessing opportunities to create buffer zones that help slow or halt the fire's progress.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
White Sage Fire grows to 19,000 acres near North Rim of Grand Canyon, prompts evacuations
The White Sage Fire near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon has grown to 19,000 acres, prompting evacuations for nearby residents, according to the Bureau of Land Management. As of the morning of July 12, BLM reported the fire had spread to 19,153 acres, with no containment achieved by firefighters. The BLM reported that both ground crews and aircraft were being used to fight the fire, with approximately 230 personnel assigned to the incident. "The fire continues to exhibit extreme behavior," read a BLM news release. Crews were working to establish a secure perimeter around the fire and were set to come under the direction of a Complex Incident Management Team beginning July 13. Evacuation orders were issued on July 11, affecting multiple communities in the area, according to a news release from the Coconino County Sheriff's Office. The evacuation zone covers a large area north of the Grand Canyon, bordered by the Utah state line to the north, Grand Canyon National Park to the south, House Rock Valley Road/Buffalo Ranch Road to the east, and Kaibab National Forest to the west. The entire area is under "GO" status, meaning all residents and visitors must evacuate immediately. Firefighters have urged the public to stay clear of the area. Nearby Highway 89A has been closed at both Fredonia and Bitter Springs. CCSO had already evacuated residents near Jacob Lake and anyone in the Kaibab National Forest. According to InciWeb, the fire was sparked by lightning and intensified by strong winds and low relative humidity. It has been burning through grass, shrubs, and native pinyon-juniper trees, the BLM reported. The blaze is expected to burn within the scar of the 2020 Magnum Fire, which charred 71,000 acres of the same forest. Republic reporter Austin Corona contributed to this article. Contact reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. at rcovarrubias@ Follow him on Instagram, X, Threads and Bluesky: @ReyCJrAZ. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Wildfire near Grand Canyon grows more than 19,000 acres
CTV News
5 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Wildfires force evacuations at Grand Canyon and Black Canyon of the Gunnison parks
This image provided by Eddie Vallee and taken from the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona shows smoke over the park's North Rim on Thursday, July 10, 2025.(Eddie Vallee via AP) JACOB LAKE, Ariz. — Visitors and staff at two national parks in the U.S. West have been evacuated because of wildfires. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, about 260 miles (418 kilometres) southwest of Denver, closed Thursday morning after lighting sparked blazes on both rims, the park said. The wildfire on the South Rim has burned 2.5 square miles (6.5 square kilometres), with no containment of the perimeter. The conditions there have been ripe for wildfire with hot temperatures, low humidity, gusty winds and dry vegetation, the park said, adding that weather will remain a concern Friday. The Grand Canyon's North Rim in Arizona also closed Thursday because of a wildfire on adjacent Bureau of Land Management land near Jacob Lake. The Coconino County Sheriff's Office said it helped evacuate people from an area north of Jacob Lake and campers in the Kaibab National Forest nearby. The fire began Wednesday evening after a thunderstorm moved through the area, fire officials said. It has burned about 1.5 square miles (3.9 square kilometres) with zero containment. The Associated Press
The Independent
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Grand Canyon among US national parks evacuated due to wildfires
Visitors and staff at two national parks in the U.S. West have been evacuated because of wildfires. The Grand Canyon 's North Rim in Arizona closed Thursday because of a wildfire on adjacent Bureau of Land Management land near Jacob Lake that began Wednesday evening after a thunderstorm moved through the area. The Coconino County Sheriff's Office said it helped evacuate people from an area north of Jacob Lake and campers in the Kaibab National Forest nearby. The fire burned about 1.5 square miles (3.9 square kilometers) with zero containment. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, about 260 miles (418 kilometers) southwest of Denver, also closed Thursday morning after lightning sparked blazes on both rims, the park said. The wildfire on the South Rim has burned 2.5 square miles (6.5 square kilometers), with no containment of the perimeter. The conditions there have been ripe for wildfire with hot temperatures, low humidity, gusty winds and dry vegetation, the park said, adding that weather will remain a concern Friday. On Tuesday, a 67-year-old man died while hiking in the Grand Canyon, according to the National Park Service. The hiker, who was from Alvarado, Texas, was attempting to reach the Colorado River and stay overnight at Phantom Ranch, a lodging stop on a popular 15-mile round-trip route that typically takes two days of hiking. Around 11:50am, officials got a call that the hiker had been found unresponsive on the South Kaibab Trail, the same place where a different Texas man died last July, trying to reach Phantom Ranch. Park officials said the man's death was a reminder of the risks of hiking in extreme summer heat in the canyon. 'In the summer, temperatures on exposed parts of the trail can exceed 120°F (49°C) in the shade, creating extremely hazardous conditions for hikers,' the parks service said in its statement announcing the death. Officials urged hikers to refrain from hiking between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. under such conditions. 'Park rangers strongly advise against hiking in the inner canyon during those hours and urge all visitors to take extreme caution when planning hikes during the summer months.'
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Climate
- Associated Press
Wildfires force evacuation of visitors and staff at 2 national parks in US West
JACOB LAKE, Ariz. (AP) — Visitors and staff at two national parks in the U.S. West have been evacuated because of wildfires. Gunnison National Park, about 260 miles (418 kilometers) southwest of Denver, closed Thursday morning after lighting sparked blazes on both the North Rim and South Rim of the Black Canyon, the park said. The wildfire has burned 2.5 square miles (6.5 square kilometers), with no containment of the perimeter. The conditions there have been ripe for wildfire with hot temperatures, low humidity, gusty winds and dry vegetation, the park said, adding that weather will remain a concern Friday. The Grand Canyon's North Rim in Arizona also closed Thursday because of a wildfire on adjacent Bureau of Land Management land near Jacob Lake. The Coconino County Sheriff's Office said it helped evacuate people from an area north of Jacob Lake and campers in the Kaibab National Forest nearby. The fire began Wednesday evening after a thunderstorm moved through the area, fire officials said. It has burned about 1.5 square miles (3.9 square kilometers) with zero containment.
