Overview

• Recovered from the charred ruins of the North Rim lodge, the 600-pound bronze Brighty statue arrived at the South Rim Museum Collections after a five-hour transport.
• Initial steps involve testing for toxic residues and evaluating structural damage to guide decisions on conservation or commissioning a new replica.
• The statue’s recovery is integrated into a broader, multi-year tional PaPark Service restoration plan for the burned North Rim, covering soil stabilization, erosion control and reseeding.
• Park officials defended their July firefighting response to the lightning-sparked Dragon Bravo Fire, attributing the lodge’s destruction to a sudden extreme wind shift that exceeded forecasts.
• The Western U.S. fire season remains intense, with nearly four dozen large fires still burning and over 17,700 personnel mobilized under the National Interagency Fire Center.