Grand Canyon’s North Rim has been ravaged by destructive wildfires that started burning over the weekend. In the process, the fire demolished the history Grand Canyon Lodge — the only lodging inside the park at North Rim — on Sunday, July 13.
The two blazes that somehow ignited and spread rapidly are called the White Sage Fire and the Dragon Bravo Fire, according to officials. The Dragon Bravo Fire was the one that destroyed the lodge.
Below, get updates on the tragedy and learn what happened.
Where Are the North Rim Wildfires Burning?
The Dragon Bravo and White Sage wildfires burned throughout the North Rim. According to local officials, the Dragon Bravo Fire “exhibited extreme and volatile fire behavior” over the weekend, and it expanded to around 5,000 acres of land, per CBS News.
Wildfires have forced evacuations for visitors and staff at two national parks — Gunnison and the Grand Canyon — in the U.S. as the summer monsoon season brings increased lightning to the arid region. pic.twitter.com/IejRD6Ctvm
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 14, 2025
What Caused the Grand Canyon Fires?
Officials said that high wind gusts of 40 mile per hour worsened the flames. According to USA Today, lightning strikes started the fires in July, and the mix of high winds, humidity and extremely hot temperatures fueled the infernos.
In a public social media statement, Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego wrote that he was “devastated” by the inferno’s destruction. In a separate tweet, Gallego supporter Governor Katie Hobbs‘ call to begin a “a comprehensive, independent investigation into the handling of fire and the rationale for treating it as a controlled burn — especially as Arizona experiences the driest, hardest part of summer. I will do my part on the federal level to get answers.”
Because of the Dragon Bravo Fire, Arizona lost more than a historic lodge, it lost a piece of our state history.
As Governor Hobbs has rightly called for, there must be a comprehensive, independent investigation into the handling of fire and the rationale for treating it as a…
— Senator Ruben Gallego (@SenRubenGallego) July 14, 2025
Are the North Rim Roads & Trails Closed?
At the time of publication, the entire North Rim and all trails — South Kaibab Trail, Phantom Ranch and North Kaibab Trail — are closed until further notice because of the chlorine gas from the North Rim Water Treatment Facility, according to the National Park Service.
Is the Grand Canyon Lodge Still Standing?
No, according to multiple reports and as seen in photos circulating online, the entire Grand Canyon Lodge has burned down. The lodge officially opened in 1937, shortly after a wildfire had burned down its original structure in 1932, per the e Grand Canyon Historical Society. The rebuilt lodge offered guests stunning, panoramic views of the region.
In addition to the Grand Canyon Lodge, somewhere between 50 to 80 structures were destroyed in the fires, according to CBS News.
When Will the North Rim Roads & Trails Reopen?
At this time, it’s unclear when park officials will reopen the area to hikers and visitors as they contain the fires.
