Lightning-sparked wildfires have ravaged two national parks in the western United States in recent days, and firefighters are struggling to gain a foothold on either blaze.
A Grand Canyon Landmark Is Destroyed
In Arizona, the Dragon Bravo Fire prompted the closure of the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, and the shuttering multiple popular trails, as well as Phantom Ranch. And on Sunday, July 13, the fire consumed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, an 88-year-old structure that was the only hotel on the canyon’s North Rim.
According to InciWeb, a federal website that monitors wildfires, the fire sparked on July 4 and was initially managed using a “confine and contain” strategy. But heavy winds, which gusted up to 40 miles per hour, whipped the fire into an uncontrollable blaze. The fire ballooned from July 12-13, jumping multiple containment barriers and surging to an estimated size of 5,716 acres. “Fire behavior is very active, driven by hot temperatures, low relative humidity, and continued strong wind gusts,” said the InciWeb report, adding that containment is currently at zero percent.
Firefighters were hindered by another wrinkle: according to the NPS, the fire damaged a water treatment facility, which resulted in a leak of highly toxic chlorine gas. The release turned the disaster into a hazmat incident, and many firefighters had to be evacuated from the surrounding area.
Although there have been no injuries as a result of the Dragon Bravo Fire, as of Monday, July 14, the NPS reported that more than 70 structures have been destroyed.
As a result of the Dragon Bravo Fire, the North Rim will be closed entirely for the rest of the season, and all inner canyon trails and campgrounds have been closed until further notice as firefighters worked to establish containment.
Already, Arizona Governor Katie Hobb took to X on Sunday night, criticizing the “confine and contain” strategy, arguing that firefighters should have been more aggressive in their response. “An incident of this magnitude demands intense oversight and scrutiny into the federal government’s emergency response,” Hobbs wrote. “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.”
A Colorado Park Is Evacuated
Another lightning-sparked fire began in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, in Colorado, on July 10. Called the South Rim Fire, the blaze is also currently zero percent contained.
According to InciWeb, the fire has spread to over 3,600 acres. The park is currently being evacuated of all personnel, and on July 10 its superintendent, Stuart West, closed the park to all visitors. State officials have closed Colorado State Highway 347, which goes through the park.
The South Rim fire joins a growing collection of blazes in Western Colorado, which has seen high temperatures and dry conditions in recent weeks.
On Sunday, July 13, Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a state of emergency for fires in Montrose, Delta, and Mesa Counties.
The fires in Grand Canyon and Black Canyon are just two of over a hundred wildfires currently raging in the United States. Around 35 miles north of the Grand Canyon fire, a much larger blaze, the White Sage Fire, has surged to a staggering 50,000 acres, decimating Kaibab National Forest. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, this year 37,672 wildfires have burned 2.5 million acres across the country.
