A huge wildfire broke out on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon—one of the most beautiful and famous places in America—and it has now burned over 8,500 acres of land! 😢
The fire, called the Dragon Bravo Fire, has destroyed dozens of buildings, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, tourist cabins, and homes for park workers.
It All Started with Lightning ⚡🔥
The fire began on July 4 when lightning hit the very dry forest. The trees there—mostly ponderosa pine and fir trees—were so dry that they were like matches waiting to be lit.
“It’s like the forest was made of dry paper,” said fire official Stefan La-Sky. That made the fire spread really fast and easy.
But what upset a lot of people is that the fire was not immediately put out. Firefighters and park officials actually let it burn at first.
Why Did They Let It Burn?
The National Park Service said they used a plan called “confine and contain.” That means they tried to keep the fire inside a certain area but didn’t try to stop it completely.
They said small fires can sometimes help the forest by:
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Burning old, dead trees (called “fuel”)
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Helping new plants grow
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Controlling bugs and tree diseases
But this time, the plan went wrong.
The Fire Got Out of Control 😨
On July 11, strong winds suddenly blew in from the northwest. The fire grew much faster than expected, and it headed straight toward buildings near the canyon’s edge.
That’s when the fire team changed their plan and switched to an “aggressive full suppression” strategy—which means they tried to stop the fire completely. But by then, it was too late to save many buildings.
What Was Lost?
The fire destroyed:
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The Grand Canyon Lodge, a famous old building where tourists stayed
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Around 70 other buildings, including cabins and homes for workers
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Housing for about 280 National Park workers
Many park staff lost their homes and had to be evacuated. Visitors were also told to leave for their safety.
People Are Angry 😡
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs is demanding an independent investigation. She wants to know why officials allowed the fire to burn during the driest part of summer, when it was clearly dangerous.
She said the plan to let it burn might have caused more harm than good.
And this isn’t the first time something like this has happened.
Back in 2006, another fire—called the Warm Fire—was also allowed to burn on the North Rim. It got out of control too, and ended up burning 59,000 acres. Hundreds of tourists and workers had to be rescued that time.
What Happens Now?
Because of the fire, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is now closed for the rest of 2025 (until October). That means:
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No visitors allowed
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No hiking trails
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No camping on that side
The South Rim, which gets around 5 million visitors a year, is still open.
Bottom Line
This fire started with lightning, but decisions made by people made it worse. Many are now asking:
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Could more buildings have been saved?
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Should the fire have been stopped sooner?
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Are managed fires too risky?
What started as a plan to help the forest turned into a disaster—with homes lost, memories burned, and a historic lodge gone forever.
