US: Wildfire Ravages Grand Canyon’s Historic North Rim Lodge – What We Know So Far | World News

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US: Wildfire Ravages Grand Canyon’s Historic North Rim Lodge – What We Know So Far | World News


Grand Canyon, Arizona: Smoke blankets the sky. Historic cabins lie in ashes. Tourists flee as two wildfires turn the North Rim of the Grand Canyon into a war zone of flame and chemical fumes. The iconic Grand Canyon Lodge, a symbol of U.S. heritage perched above one of Earth’s great wonders, has been reduced to rubble.

The blaze did not come from nowhere. On July 4, a bolt of lightning lit up the forest. What followed became a nightmare with a name – the Dragon Bravo Fire. With winds screaming at 64 km/h (40 mph), the flames roared through 500 acres of national parkland in days.

Then came the White Sage Fire, ignited by lightning on July 9. By July 13, it had exploded to more than 40,000 acres, spreading through Arizona’s backcountry with terrifying speed.

The Grand Canyon Lodge, a beloved seasonal retreat that first opened in 1928, stood directly in the path. Known for its dramatic views and handcrafted stonework by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood, the lodge had survived one fire before, a kitchen blaze in 1932, and was rebuilt in 1937. This time, there was no saving it.

The National Park Service confirmed the worst – between 50 and 80 structures have been destroyed, including visitor facilities and NPS administrative buildings. The fire has prompted the complete closure of the North Rim for the rest of the season. The lodge had only opened on May 15, set to run through October 15.

No lives have been lost. Officials acted fast, evacuating tourists and residents before the fire could trap anyone. But as the inferno advanced, a chlorine gas leak complicated everything. The water treatment facility on the North Rim, damaged by fire, began leaking toxic gas – forcing crews to pull back from key fire zones.

Chlorine gas is deadly. It can irritate eyes and lungs, cause throat burns and in extreme cases, kill. With the leak spreading, rangers closed Phantom Ranch, which is nestled deep inside the canyon near the Colorado River. Popular hiking routes like the North Kaibab and South Kaibab Trails are now also shut down.

Firefighters on the ground are battling two enemies – flames and weather. The Bureau of Land Management says hot, dry and erratic winds are pushing the fire in unpredictable directions. Vegetation is bone-dry. The Forest Service is recording record-high energy release components (ERCs), a sign that everything burns faster, longer and hotter than ever before.

As the Dragon Bravo Fire grew more aggressive, containment strategies changed by the hour. At first, the National Park Service (NPS) tried a “confine/contain” approach, letting the fire serve its natural role while holding it back from infrastructure. But by Friday, the strategy had shifted. Now, it is all-out war – full suppression.

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs praised the efforts of exhausted firefighters and first responders. But she also fired shots at Washington, calling the federal response slow and inadequate.

“This incident demands intense oversight and scrutiny. They must act now to stop the damage and prevent it from getting worse,” Hobbs posted on X. 

The Grand Canyon, nearly 450 kilometers long, 29 kilometers wide in parts and carved over two billion years, is no stranger to natural disasters. But this is not merely a wildfire, it is a warning. When a place so vast, so ancient and so revered burns, it burns into the memory of a nation.

And what remains now at the North Rim is a smoldering scar where generations came to stand in awe – now lost, consumed by fire, smoke and silence.





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