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Two rapidly growing wildfires near the Grand Canyon's North Rim are currently burning uncontained. The fires prompted the closure and evacuation of the North Rim and destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, among other structures.
The Grand Canyon Lodge was the only lodging inside the park at the North Rim and was often the first feature visitors saw when entering the park. Park officials confirmed on Sunday that it had burned down in addition to many other structures, including the visitor center, gas station, a wastewater treatment plant, an administrative building, employee housing, and several historic cabins. All staff and visitors were successfully evacuated before the fire escalated.
The Dragon Bravo Fire, which started from a lightning strike inside the park on July 4, has burned over 5,000 acres. Just 35 miles north, the White Sage Fire, which began on July 9, has burned over 40,000 acres and is currently uncontained. The North Rim will remain closed for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, multiple wildfires in western Colorado have burned thousands of acres and continue to spread. The largest, the South Rim fire, has burned more than 3,500 acres since starting Thursday morning near the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, which is closed until further notice.
Former Forest Service leader on how Trump is hollowing out the agency
In a new episode of The Landscape podcast, Kate and Aaron talk to Steve Ellis, a 38-year veteran of both the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management and current chair of the National Association of Forest Service Retirees, about what the Trump administration is doing, and trying to do, to the Forest Service, and what that means for everything from logging to wildfires.
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