Overview

• Officials said the firefighter suffered a cardiac emergency on Sept. 8 during suppression-repair near the North Rim Entrance Station, and resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.
• The National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner are investigating the line-of-duty death, and the firefighter’s name has not yet been released.
• The Dragon Bravo Fire, ignited by lightning on July 4, has burned about 145,504 acres and was 80% contained as of Sept. 9, according to InciWeb.
• The blaze destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge and dozens of cabins on the North Rim, and the park’s North Rim remains closed for the rest of the 2025 season.
• Arizona officials have questioned early response decisions after reporting that the fire was initially allowed to burn for land-management objectives, a practice the Park Service defends as expertly handled.