Grand Canyon's North Rim fire still raging amid strong winds, 'extreme heat'
The Dragon Bravo Fire burning inside the park was at 5,700 acres and 0% containment as of Tuesday, July 15. Federal officials initially treated the fire as a controlled burn before powerful winds caused it to explode in size over the weekend, spurring evacuations and swallowing whole structures, including the Grand Canyon Lodge, the only hotel inside the national park at the North Rim.
Arizona senators and Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs have called on the federal government to investigate the wildfire response and whether it was mishandled. "The destruction of the Grand Canyon Lodge was a tragedy and Arizonans deserve answers," Hobbs said.
North of the Grand Canyon, the White Sage Fire has scorched 77 square miles of land and remained at 0% containment, according to InciWeb, a federal government wildfire tracker. Evacuations in communities near the Utah Border were still in place as well as several road closures.
No one has been injured in the blazes, officials said.
Lightning strikes ignited both fires earlier this month and strong winds, high temperatures and low humidity caused their rapid expansion. Scorching temperatures have hampered firefighters' ability to battle the blaze on the ground – and the heat showed no signs of abating July 15.
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Wildfires in northern Arizona burn over 103,000 acres; Kaibab Lodge still safe
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Yahoo
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