Grand Canyon Wildfires Destroy Historic Lodge and Over 60,000 Acres

Grand Canyon Wildfires Rage

• 🔥 Two wildfires, the Dragon Bravo fire and the White Sage fire, are burning out of control on and around the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
• 💨 These fires, sparked by lightning, have already scorched more than 60,000 acres and reduced some historic parts of the canyon to ashes.
• ⚠️ Visitors can see thick plumes of smoke rising over the canyon, and dry conditions coupled with potential dry lightning and strong winds (upwards of 35 mph) pose a risk for further fires in the region.

Destruction and Containment Efforts

• 🏚️ Over the weekend, 70 structures were lost, including a historic lodge at the popular site.
• 🚫 Both the Dragon Bravo and White Sage fires are currently 0% contained.
• ⏳ Officials are uncertain about how quickly these fires can be brought under control, as they have been burning for at least a week.

Political Response and Other Fires

• 😠 Governor Katie Hobbs is furious, calling for an investigation into why she believes the federal government did not aggressively attack the Dragon Bravo fire from the start.
• 📈 In western Colorado, the Turner Gulch fire exploded in size from 1,500 acres to over 12,000 in 24 hours.
• 💨 Strong winds are also fueling the Cramp fire in central Oregon, forcing mass evacuations.
• 🌎 Smoke from fires in Canada is spreading into the US, triggering air quality alerts for parts of the Midwest.