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10h ago

Calls Grow for Federal Investigation as Grand Canyon Wildfires Rage Unchecked. Park Service

Park Service leaders defend the full suppression approach following unseasonable winds that overran containment lines

Image
This undated photo provided by the National Park Service shows the historic Grand Canyon Lodge's front entrance with a sloped roof, huge ponderosa beams and massive limestone facade, on the North Rim of Grand Canyon, in northern Arizona on July 14, 2025.
Ranger Doug (left) and the lyrics to his “Free Fallin’” parody called “(Don’t Be) Free Fallin.’”
In 1950, my father, DeRay Hugh, was hired to work at the North Rim Lodge that summer. He had just turned 16. He worked as a bus driver, kitchen help and whatever other jobs needed. Over the summer, he took many photos of his friends, staff members, guests, the Lodge, cabins, workers quarters, and surrounding area.

Overview

  • Both the Dragon Bravo and White Sage fires remain at zero containment across more than 90 square miles on the North Rim
  • Unseasonable nighttime gusts topping 40 mph drove the Dragon Bravo Fire into containment lines, destroying the nearly century-old Grand Canyon Lodge and dozens of cabins
  • Damage to a water treatment facility released chlorine gas and halted aerial retardant drops, forcing firefighters into defensive operations
  • North Rim staff, residents, hikers and river rafters were evacuated and access to trails, Phantom Ranch and State Route 67 was closed due to hazardous smoke and gas risks
  • Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and members of Congress have called for an independent federal investigation into the Park Service’s fire-management decisions