The wildfires that destroyed a historic lodge have forced the closure of the Grand Canyon’s North Rim for the rest of the season.
The blaze destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge, cabins, employee housing, visitor’s center and a wastewater treatment plant, The Associated Press reported.
All visitors and employees at the lodge were evaluated safely. The lodge was the second to stand overlooking the canyon. The first burned down in 1932 after a kitchen fire. The new lodge opened in 1937 with much of the stonework from the original building reused, The Washington Post reported.
It was the only lodging on the North Rim, Fox News reported.
In all, 50 to 80 buildings have been destroyed, but there have been no reports of injuries in the two fires that were burning -- the Dragon Bravo Fire and White Sage Fire, the AP reported.
The North Rim is one of the less popular areas of the Grand Canyon and accounts for only 10% of the millions of people who visit each year.
Hikers had to be evacuated because of the fire and concerns over chlorine gas from the wastewater plant’s destruction.
Rafters were told to avoid the Phantom Ranch area on the canyon’s floor.
The North Kaibab Trail and the South Kaibab Trail are also closed, The Washington Post reported.
Lightning started the Dragon Bravo Fire on July 4, Fox News reported. At first, federal officials had fought the fire using a “confine and contain” mission, which cleared fuel sources, but had to change to fire impression mode after the wildfires quickly spread to 7.8 square miles.
Gov. Katie Hobbs is calling for a federal investigation into the National Park Service to look into the agency’s handling of the fire, which has now burned 63 square miles over the past week, the AP reported.
An incident of this magnitude demands intense oversight and scrutiny into the federal government’s emergency response. They must first take aggressive action to end the wildfire and prevent further damage. But Arizonans deserve answers for how this fire was allowed to decimate…
— Governor Katie Hobbs (@GovernorHobbs) July 14, 2025
Interior Department spokesperson Elizabeth Peace responded to Hobbs allegations with a statement emailed to The Washington Post, which read, “The allegation that this fire was managed as a controlled burn is not at all accurate and our wildland fire experts certainly know the difference,” adding that the agency “takes the threat of wildfires with the utmost seriousness and is committed to protecting lives, communities, and treasured public lands through science-driven fire management and rapid response.”
©2024 Cox Media Group
