NORTH RIM, Ariz. — The Grand Canyon Lodge was one of dozens of structures destroyed in a fast-moving wildfire in Arizona over the weekend, the National Park Service (NPS) confirmed.
The lodge, which sits on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, first opened in 1937 and is listed as a National Historic Landmark. It is the only in-park lodging option in that region of the park.
The fire, dubbed by officials as the Dragon Bravo Fire, had scorched over 5,000 acres as of Sunday morning and is being fueled by extreme summer heat, low humidity and strong winds.
A second fire, the White Sage Fire, is also threatening the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, according to NPS.
The lodge is one of approximately 50 to 80 structures that have been lost, including the National Park Service’s administrative building and visitor facilities.
NPS officials said aerial bucket drops were conducted to slow fire movement near the lodge; however, a chlorine gas leak at the nearby water treatment facility prompted the evacuation of firefighting personnel from critical zones.
Chlorine gas can quickly settle into lower elevations such as the inner canyon, posing a health risk, officials added.
No deaths or injuries have been reported in the fire, and all staff and residents were successfully evacuated before the fire’s escalation, NPS officials said.
The North Rim will remain closed to all visitor access for the remainder of the 2025 season, according to NPS.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs released a statement on Sunday, saying she’s “incredibly saddened by the destruction of the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.”
“As someone who was born and raised in Arizona, I know what the Grand Canyon National Park means to so many people, not just in Arizona, but all over the world, and how devastating it is to see this damage done to one of Arizona’s most cherished landmarks,” Hobbs said.
Hobbs also called for “scrutiny” into the federal government’s emergency response to the wildfire. “They must first take aggressive action to end the wildfire and prevent further damage,” Hobbs said.
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