2 Arizona wildfires grow as they ravage Grand Canyon's North Rim
As of about 9 a.m. on July 15, the White Sage Fire spread across 51,922 acres, while the Dragon Bravo Fire spread to over 8,000 acres and destroyed historic structures, according to InciWeb, a federal wildfire tracker.
Both of the fires remained 0% contained.
Here's what we know about the continued growth of the fires and what might be next for firefighters.
The White Sage Fire, roughly 30 miles north of the Dragon Bravo Fire, has burned 51,922 acres and was 0% contained after it was ignited due to a lightning strike, according to InciWeb.
"Over the past few days, the White Sage Fire has exhibited extreme fire behavior," wrote fire officials in a July 15 morning update.
Fire officials said 572 personnel were battling the fire.
The approximate 2,600-acre increase was "significantly less" than before, according to the update.
On July 14, the fire continued to spread through the scar of the 2020 Magnum Fire, where invasive cheatgrass acted as perfect fuel for the fire. Firefighters on the west side of the fire maintained a fire line and were transitioning into suppression efforts, the update added.
Firefighters also traveled directly to the north portion of the fire and established more control lines, but they saw increased fire activity in the northwestern portion due to shifting winds and dry grass in the area, the update said.
Firefighters were hindered by dry thunderstorms that evening, which limited air attack crews, who are critical to suppression efforts from the air, according to InciWeb.
A vast area, the Kaibab Plateau from the Utah-Arizona line down to the Grand Canyon, was placed under evacuation orders. Fire crews urged the public to avoid the area. Highway 89A was closed at Fredonia and Bitter Springs.
About 30 miles to the south, the Dragon Bravo Fire engulfed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim, and at least 70 structures on July 12, according to Stefan La-Sky, public information officer for the Southwest Incident Management Team.
On July 15, the fire had burned 8,570 acres and was still 0% contained, according to La-Sky. Over 360 personnel were battling the fire, he added.
Six helicopters, including three heavy variants able to carry more water, were now on-site, La-Sky also said.
Firefighters focused on areas near Roaring Springs, with some crews specifically assigned to structure protection, according to La-Sky
He said that the fire threat to nearby Phantom Ranch was "significantly reduced."
A hazmat situation caused by a chlorine leak from a water treatment plant was resolved, as crews found no detectable levels of the toxic chemicals in the area, fire officials said in an update.
Do you have photos or video of the Grand Canyon Lodge to share on azcentral.com? We'd love to see them and share with readers. Send it to us at our video-photo upload site.
The National Weather Service office in Flagstaff noted July 15 that the area was expected to see a chance of gusty winds and dry lightning in the area, both of which aggravate fire conditions.
Chances of actual rain, including hail, were at their highest on Thursday, according to the Weather Service.
Thunderstorms prevent air attack crews, which are commonly used in the remote areas of the Dragon Bravo and White Sage fires, from reaching the fires.
If rain made its way to the area, there was also a threat of flash flooding in sensitive areas and recent burn scars, according to the Weather Service.
Contact reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. at rcovarrubias@gannett.com. Follow him on Instagram, X, Threads and Bluesky: @ReyCJrAZ.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Wildfires in AZ: Dragon Bravo, White Sage fires burn nearly 60K acres
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