Grand Canyon Wildfire Becomes A 'Megafire'
The Dragon Bravo Fire has been burning since it was sparked by a lightning strike on July 4, in an update on Thursday morning, fire officials said the fire has grown to almost 165 square miles, or more than 105,000 acres. That also makes it the largest wildfire of the year so far in the U.S., according to InciWeb, a government site that tracks wildfires. The second largest is the Cram Fire, which burned more than 95,000 acres in Oregon.
Containment of the Grand Canyon fire, which had dropped from 26% to just 4% on Wednesday, rose slightly to 9%.
"The way we calculate containment in an active wildfire is it is a percent of the total fire perimeter that is out cold," Southwest Area Incident Management Team public information officer Lisa Jennings told KTAR News. "We actually have our firefighters going out there and making sure that those areas are contained, and so that feet of contained line continues to increase, but at the same time, the fire has seen a lot of growth."
(MORE: Jaw-Dropping Lightning Strike Caught On Video)
More Historic Structures Threatened
This wildfire has already claimed at least 70 buildings, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, and has shut down the North Rim for the remainder of the 2025 season, but now, more buildings are in its path. According to Fox 10 Phoenix, the historic Kaibab Lodge in Fredonia, which was built in 1926, is also being threatened by the fire.
(MORE: Lightning Is A Surprising Tree Killer)
The lodge sits just 9 miles from the North Rim Lookout Tower and has been spared so far, but it's one of the buildings that the 968 personnel assigned to the fire have been working tirelessly to protect from the flames.
"Just say a prayer," lodge owner Larry Innes told Fox 10 Phoenix. "I mean, it's kind of out of our hands. I mean, the things are working our way right now and let's hope it keeps going that way for the next few days."
Another Hot Day Ahead
Unfortunately, conditions are not getting more favorable for firefighters who are battling this massive inferno. And although the North Rim is now closed to visitors, anyone in the area will certainly feel the heat.
"Temperatures are not expected to change much through the end of the week. At the bottom of the canyon, highs will surpass 110 degrees each afternoon through at least Sunday," said weather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles. "Conditions will be dangerous below 4,000 feet, or 1 1/2 miles from the upper trailhead, and hikers are asked to stay out of the canyon between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
(WATCH: Raging Floodwaters Tear Apart Mobile Home)
"This is an extremely dangerous heat that can lead to heat illness and even death," digital meteorologist Jennifer Gray added. "Take the alerts seriously, and make sure you stay hydrated if you are visiting the Grand Canyon."
And What About The Smoke?
"Unhealthy air quality will persist along the North Rim due to the Dragon Bravo Fire nearby," said Gray. "High winds and low humidity will continue to work against firefighters as they battle the flames."
If you're heading out to the Grand Canyon for outdoor activities, or anywhere else where wildfire smoke could be lingering in the air, it's important to know what it can do to your body.
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CNN
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Fire cloud forms in Grand Canyon ‘Megafire'
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Yahoo
a day ago
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Grand Canyon fire rages, one month on
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Newsweek
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Joe Rondone/The Arizona Republic via AP A more recent blaze, the Gifford fire which broke out in California on Friday, has led to evacuations in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. The fire has grown into the state's second-biggest this year behind the Madre fire, which also burned in San Luis Obispo County. The Gifford fire is only 5 percent contained, as of Sunday morning, having burned nearly 40,000 acres. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and over 561 personnel are working to contain the fire. Earlier in July, the South Rim fire in Colorado, which is unaffiliated with the fire in the Grand Canyon, was ignited by lightning strikes and has closed the South Rim part of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The North Rim portion of the park recently reopened. As of Sunday, the fire is 52 percent contained, with an estimated containment date of August 10. The fire has burned over 4,000 acres. The Billy fire, also caused by lightning, located in the Tonto National Forest has led to closures of parts of the forest as nearly 2,500 acres have been scorched. The fire is currently 65 percent contained. Further north, the Bear Gulch fire has closed parts of the Olympic National Park, including some trials and picnic areas, until October. The fire was started by an individual on July 6 and has burned over 4,700 acres. The Laguna fire, which has burned over 17,000 acres, has closed portions of the Santa Fe National Forest since July 18. There have been several other fires that have closed portions of national parks and forests this summer, including the Rush fire in the Payette National Forest, however the trail closure order was terminated on August 2. What People Are Saying Grand Canyon National Park Service wrote in an X post on Saturday: "Good morning from Grand Canyon National Park on Saturday August 2, 2025. The Extreme Heat Warning has now been extended through Tuesday, August 5, at 7 pm. The North Rim of the park is closed because of damage and losses caused by the Dragon Bravo wildfire." California Governor Gavin Newsom's official press office X account posted Saturday: "The #GiffordFire started on Trump's federally managed land in the Los Padres NATIONAL Forest. While Trump just gutted wildfire funding, @CAL_FIRE is now stepping in to clean up what federal mismanagement helped fuel. That's the California way." Representative Jeff Hurd, a Colorado Republican, wrote in an X post on July 28: "This morning, I visited the South Rim Fire with Stuart West, the Superintendent of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. It was an honor to meet with emergency responders to see the response firsthand. Federal, state, and local crews in #CO03 are working in close coordination to protect lives and land. These folks are doing heroic work, and I'm making sure they get the support and resources they need, now and in the future." What Happens Next? Thousands of fire crews are battling wildfires across the nation, while national parks work to assess damage, conduct safety inspections, and carry out maintenance before reopening closed sections to the public. A community meeting for the Dragon Bravo fire will be held in Fredonia, Arizona, on August 5.
