logo
Grand Canyon Wildfire Becomes A 'Megafire'

Grand Canyon Wildfire Becomes A 'Megafire'

Yahoo5 days ago
A massive wildfire burning on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon has exceeded 100,000 acres, meaning it is now classified as 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.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Largest wildfire in the US spreads to more than 126,000 acres in Grand Canyon National Park
Largest wildfire in the US spreads to more than 126,000 acres in Grand Canyon National Park

Yahoo

time3 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Largest wildfire in the US spreads to more than 126,000 acres in Grand Canyon National Park

The devastating wildfire raging in Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park has spread to more than 126,000 acres, making it the largest active blaze in the country. The Dragon Bravo fire has been burning for a month following a lightning strike on the canyon's North Rim on July 4. Record-low humidity has hampered efforts to contain the fire, which has spread to 126,445 acres and is only 13 percent contained as of Tuesday, according to InciWeb, the government's website that tracks wildfires. Towns near the blaze are hosting emergency community meetings this week as the fire threatens to endanger life, impact business supply chains and affect the tourism economy. Millions of visitors flock to the natural wonder of the world every year. The mayor of the town of Fredonia declared a local emergency Monday. Mayor Don Johnson called for a 'drastic and meaningful change in land use and forest management policy' to prevent future catastrophic fires in the Kaibab National Forest. The fire also destroyed the historic lodge at Grand Canyon National Park as extreme heat and strong winds continue to fuel the blaze. 'Humidity will begin to rise, but fire weather remains near critical,' the daily government update on the fire warned Tuesday. Smoke has been affecting the air quality in the nearby towns for the last two weeks and gusts of up to 30mph are forecast this week. The town of Page is due to hold an emergency meeting on the issue Wednesday. 'We have had this persistent southwest wind that has carried smoke into the Page area, so they have been flirting with unhealthy smoke impacts,' Robert Rickey, a Weather Service wildfire incident meteorologist, told The New York Times. Winds could ease over the weekend, but there is only a 10 percent chance of rain, which is not expected to be significant. 'This fire behavior we're seeing is unprecedented,' Lisa Jennings, a spokeswoman for the Southwest Area Incident Management Team, told the Times Saturday. 'We have had consistently gusty winds with this dry spell for the past eight days. There's lots of fuel to burn through.' Elsewhere, wildfire smoke continues to choke millions of residents across the Upper Great Lakes region, as massive blazes burned in Canada and throughout the western U.S.

Fire cloud forms in Grand Canyon ‘Megafire'
Fire cloud forms in Grand Canyon ‘Megafire'

CNN

time8 hours ago

  • CNN

Fire cloud forms in Grand Canyon ‘Megafire'

Fire cloud forms in Grand Canyon 'Megafire' Firefighters have been fighting Dragon Bravo Fire at the Grand Canyon since July 4, but it has been intensifying due to unfavorable weather conditions. Lisa Jennings, a fire information officer with the Southwest Area Incident Management Team, explains how a fire cloud has formed in this 'megafire.' 01:08 - Source: CNN Vertical Top News 15 videos Fire cloud forms in Grand Canyon 'Megafire' Firefighters have been fighting Dragon Bravo Fire at the Grand Canyon since July 4, but it has been intensifying due to unfavorable weather conditions. Lisa Jennings, a fire information officer with the Southwest Area Incident Management Team, explains how a fire cloud has formed in this 'megafire.' 01:08 - Source: CNN GOP congressman met with boos and jeers at town hall Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE) was met with boos and jeers after his answer about funding for migrant detention facilities and ICE during a town hall in Lincoln, Nebraska. 01:43 - Source: CNN Tornado hits Inner Mongolia Footage shows a tornado hitting Inner Mongolia on Monday. No casualties were reported from the incident, according to a state media report. 00:29 - Source: CNN Firefighters battle California's Gifford Fire The Gifford Fire has now burned over 72,000 acres across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties in California. Containment is still at just 3% after five days. The fire is the second largest wildfire of the year in California so far. 00:56 - Source: CNN Arrest warrants issued for Texas Dems who fled state Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the state Department of Public Safety to conduct the civil arrest of dozens of State House Democrats who fled the state in a bid to block a partisan redrawing of the state's congressional map. CNN's Phil Mattingly spoke to Texas democratic state Rep. Linda Garcia, who fled to Chicago, about the warrants. 01:26 - Source: CNN Passengers rush to evacuate smoke-filled train Video shows passengers rushing to evacuate a smoke-filled PATH train in New Jersey. Thirteen people were treated for smoke inhalation and 9 were transported to the hospital, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. 00:24 - Source: CNN Trump calls Sweeney's American Eagle ad 'fantastic' President Donald Trump praised Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle jeans ad on Sunday, telling reporters that it is 'fantastic' after finding out that the actress was a registered Republican. Sweeney registered with the Republican Party in Florida on June 16, 2024, prior to November's presidential election, according to Florida voter registration records. 00:49 - Source: CNN AI puts pressure on recent college grads' first job search From resume bots to automated hiring systems, AI is complicating the job search for recent college grads. The Wall Street Journal's Lindsay Ellis tells CNN's Audie Cornish about the challenges young professionals are facing. 02:01 - Source: CNN Fact checking Trump's claims on the jobs report CNN's Matt Egan explains how President Trump's unprecedented decision to fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics is a 'shoot-the-messenger' approach that will cause doubts about future economic numbers. 01:57 - Source: CNN What Maxwell's unusual transfer to a lower security prison camp may mean Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who had been serving a 20-year prison sentence in Florida, has been moved to a lower-security federal prison camp in Texas. 01:24 - Source: CNN Young Americans flock to the Vatican for the Youth Jubilee Pope Leo made a surprise appearance during the Vatican's Youth Jubilee event. Young people from around the world showed up to see the Pontiff, including Gen Z'ers from his hometown of Chicago. 02:16 - Source: CNN Storms drop dangerous, flooding rain Dangerous torrential rainfall and flash flooding are underway in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast Thursday with millions at risk along the Interstate 95 corridor, with video already showing cars stranded submerged under water along the Clearview Expressway in Queens. 00:37 - Source: CNN US diminished a key weapons stockpile fighting Iran The US used about a quarter of its supply of high-end missile interceptors during the Israel-Iran war, exposing a gap in supplies, and raising concerns about US global security posture. CNN's Tamara Qiblawi reports. 01:35 - Source: CNN Pilot safe after navy fighter jet crash A US Navy F-35 fighter jet crashed in central California, according to the Navy. The pilot ejected safely, and the cause of the crash is under investigation. 00:41 - Source: CNN

Grand Canyon fire rages, one month on
Grand Canyon fire rages, one month on

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

Grand Canyon fire rages, one month on

A month after a wildfire erupted at the edge of the Grand Canyon, US firefighters were struggling Monday to bring the blaze under control. A lightning strike on July 4 -- Independence Day in the United States -- sparked a fire that spread rapidly on the northern rim of the canyon, a major draw for domestic and international tourists. The Dragon Bravo Fire -- named after the Dragon rock formation near the conflagration's start -- was initially allowed to burn unabated as part of a natural cycle that thins vegetation and renews the landscape. But a week later, strong winds whipped through Arizona and fanned the fire, pushing it through a major hotel, as well as the North Rim Visitor Center and some guest cabins. A nearby water treatment plant was also damaged, venting chlorine gas into the environment. The blaze, which now stands at over 123,000 acres (50,000 hectares), is being actively fought with more than 1,000 personnel on site, battling the flames from the air and from the ground. "Yesterday, crews patrolled and monitored the east and west flanks of the fire," said a Monday update from incident commanders. "Despite relative humidities as low as four percent they were able to hold the fire's growth to a minimum. "In the southwest part of the fire, crews were able to go direct on the fire. Last night they walked sections of the perimeter searching for signs of heat, a process required before lines can be declared contained." The level of containment -- the amount of the perimeter where firefighters have completely stopped the fire's progress -- stood at 13 percent on Monday. Operations throughout the day looked set to be helped by the local topography along the northern part of the fire, despite continued critical fire weather, the update said. "The pinon-juniper fuels in the area will assist since they do not carry the fire as effectively as mixed conifer or ponderosa stands," it continued, in reference to the vegetation growing in the vicinity. Humidity remains low in the region, with a disappointing seasonal monsoon bringing rain far below expected levels. Scores of wildfires burn across North America every year, many of them started by lightning. Those that do not threaten population centers are now frequently left to burn by forest managers who understand the need for the kind of woodland renewal such blazes bring. The policy contrasts with what was previously in effect for much of the last 150 years, where managers took an aggressive firefighting stance. Doing so had the unintended effect of leaving some areas overstocked with fuel and liable to burn much hotter and faster when they did catch fire. While wildfire is a natural phenomenon, human activity -- specifically the unchecked use of fossil fuels -- is changing the climate, often making blazes more likely and more destructive. hg/jgc

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store