Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs demanded a federal investigation into the handling of fast-moving blazes that destroyed a historic lodge and dozens of other structures in the Grand Canyon’s North Rim.
The flames from two wildfires – the Dragon Bravo Fire and the White Sage Fire – were sparked by lightning strikes in the national park earlier this month.
Authorities initially managed the blaze with a ‘confine and contain’ strategy to clear fuel sources, but the Dragon Bravo Fire rapidly grew and destroyed the iconic Grand Canyon Lodge over the weekend.
Hobbs has called on the federal government to investigate the National Park Service’s response to the wildfire.
‘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 the Grand Canyon National Park,’ she said on X.
Officials have closed the famous tourist destination for the remainder of the 2025 season, which is set to end on October 15.
The Dragon Brave Fire has consumed 5,716 acres, and the White Sage Fire has scorched 49,286 acres, and both are at zero percent containment as of Monday.