A wildfire fueled by extreme heat and winds has destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim and forced a season-long closure of the area.
Leah Sarnoff and Vanessa Navarrete report for ABC News.
In short:
- The Dragon Bravo Fire burned over 5,000 acres and destroyed up to 80 structures, including the Grand Canyon Lodge and National Park Service buildings.
- Firefighting efforts were hindered by a chlorine gas leak from a nearby water treatment plant, forcing evacuations of emergency crews.
- The White Sage Fire continues to threaten the North Rim, which will remain closed to visitors through the rest of 2025.
Key quote:
"They must first take aggressive action to end the wildfire and prevent further damage."
— Katie Hobbs, governor of Arizona
Why this matters:
The loss of the Grand Canyon Lodge, a landmark dating back to 1937, marks more than the destruction of a historic site. It reflects the growing vulnerability of public lands to increasingly intense wildfire seasons, driven by heat, drought, and volatile weather patterns. Compounding the challenge, events like the chlorine gas leak at the Grand Canyon’s water treatment facility expose how fire can quickly lead to cascading environmental hazards, putting firefighters and ecosystems at additional risk. The North Rim’s closure also means months of lost economic activity for the surrounding rural communities that depend on tourism revenue. It's worth noting that this comes at a time when wildland firefighting budgets and personnel have been slashed by the Trump administration.
Read more: Extreme heat is driving Arizona’s political debate on climate change
