Federal officials initially treated the fire as a controlled burn before powerful winds caused it to explode in size over the weekend, spurring evacuations as it swallowed whole structures, including the Grand Canyon Lodge,

Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) questioned the federal government’s handling of the fires burning the Grand Canyon, which have spread rapidly and destroyed dozens of buildings. Two wildfires, the White Sage Fire and the Dragon Bravo Fire,

The so-called Dragon Bravo Fire swelled to over 3,460 hectares. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Lightning started the Dragon Bravo Fire on July 4, 2025. The fire was burning in the ponderosa pine forest within the northern national park boundaries, consuming 5,000 acres. The entire North Rim of the Grand Canyon was closed. The fire had burned between 50 and 80 structures on the North Rim, according to park officials.

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. — A wildfire that tore through a historic Grand Canyon lodge and raged out of control Monday had been allowed to burn for days before erupting over the weekend, raising scrutiny over the National Park Service’s decision not to aggressively attack the fire right away.

Gov. Katie Hobbs and Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego are calling for an independent investigation into how federal officials managed the Dragon Bravo Fire burning on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.

A wildfire named Dragon Bravo at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon grew by 50%, destroying buildings including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge. Criticism arose over delayed firefighting. Arizona's governor called for an investigation.