Latest news with #EdKeable
The Guardian
9 hours ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Wildfire that destroyed Grand Canyon lodge spread after being left to burn for days
A wildfire raging along the Grand Canyon's North Rim that leveled a historic lodge erupted over the weekend after burning for more than a week, raising scrutiny over the National Park Service's decision not to aggressively attack the fire right away. Katie Hobbs, Arizona's governor, called for a federal investigation into the park service's handling of the fire, which was sparked by lightning on 4 July. 'Arizonans deserve answers for how this fire was allowed to decimate the Grand Canyon National Park,' the governor said in a social media post on Sunday. 'The federal government chose to manage that fire as a controlled burn during the driest, hottest part of the Arizona summer.' Authorities first used a 'confine and contain' strategy by clearing fuel sources, but shifted to aggressive suppression as the fire rapidly grew to nearly 8 square miles (20.7 sq km) because of hot temperatures, low humidity and strong wind gusts, fire officials said. The fire destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging inside the park's North Rim, along with cabins, employee housing and a waste water treatment plant, the park superintendent, Ed Keable, said on Sunday. Park officials have closed access for the rest of the year to the North Rim, a less popular and more isolated area of the park that draws only about 10% of the Grand Canyon's millions of annual visitors. Hikers in the area were evacuated and rafters on the Colorado River, which snakes through the canyon, were told to bypass Phantom Ranch, an outpost of cabins and dormitories. No injuries have been reported, but 50 to 80 structures have been lost, the park superintendent said. From the air, plumes of black smoke could be seen rising above the canyon walls. The fire flared up on Saturday night, fueled by high winds. Firefighters managed to make progress, using aerial fire retardant drops near the lodge before they had to pull back because of a chlorine gas leak at the water treatment plant, the park service said. Across the west, about three dozen fires are burning uncontained and another 80 fires are being managed to clear out vegetation that has clogged the landscape, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. So far this year, nearly 2.5m acres have burned. That is slightly below the 10-year average, according to the center. Near the Grand Canyon's North Rim, two wildfires were burning – the Dragon Bravo fire that destroyed the lodge and other buildings and the White Sage fire, which by Sunday afternoon had charred 63 square miles of terrain. Officials reported progress in battling the White Sage fire. Nearly 5 million people visited the Grand Canyon last year, with most sticking to the South Rim. Roads in the North Rim are closed to vehicles in the winter and the lodge opens in May through mid-October. The Grand Canyon Lodge, known for its huge ponderosa beams, massive limestone facade and a bronze statue of a donkey named 'Brighty the Burro', was perched on the edge of the North Rim and offered sweeping views of the canyon. Caren Carney was staying at the lodge last week with her husband, parents and 12-year-old son when a park ranger knocked on their door on Thursday and told them to evacuate. She was heartbroken on Sunday to hear that such a 'magical place' had burned down. After evacuating, the family from Georgia went to the South Rim and could see the blaze from across the canyon. 'I'm so glad we got to have one final look at it in the present before it was lost,' Carney said. The best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know. If you have something to share on this subject you can contact us confidentially using the following methods. Secure Messaging in the Guardian app The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories. Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said. If you don't already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS/Android) and go to the menu. Select 'Secure Messaging'. SecureDrop, instant messengers, email, telephone and post See our guide at for alternative methods and the pros and cons of each. Aramark, the company that operated the lodge, said all employees and guests were safely evacuated. An original lodge burned down from a kitchen fire in 1932, four years after construction was completed, according to the Grand Canyon Historical Society. The redesigned lodge using the original stonework opened in 1937. Elsewhere, a wildfire burning in south-western Colorado closed Black Canyon of the Gunnison national park and forced the evacuation of homes near the park. The fire was started by lightning on Thursday on the south rim of the park, a dramatic, deep gorge carved by the Gunnison River. Jared Polis, Colorado's governor, issued a disaster declaration Sunday because of it and other fires burning in western Colorado.
E&E News
12 hours ago
- Climate
- E&E News
Grand Canyon blaze burns historic lodge, sparks calls for investigation
Firefighters continue to combat a fast-moving wildfire that destroyed dozens of buildings in the Grand Canyon National Park over the weekend and has closed its North Rim to visitors for the rest of the season, according to the National Park Service. The Dragon Bravo Fire, caused by a lightning strike inside the park July 4, was zero percent contained as of Monday, according to InciWeb, a government fire-tracking website. It described Dragon Bravo as 'very active, driven by hot temperatures, low relative humidity, and continued strong wind gusts.' Park Superintendent Ed Keable told park residents and staff in a meeting Sunday that a visitor center, gas station, water treatment plant and the historic Grand Canyon Lodge are among 50 to 80 structures destroyed by the fire so far, according to reporting by the Associated Press. Advertisement Historic cabins, staff housing and an administrative building were also lost, but no serious injuries or deaths have been reported.
North Wales Chronicle
12 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Wildfire along Grand Canyon's North Rim destroys historic lodge
Park officials have closed access for the rest of the year to the North Rim, a less popular and more isolated area of the park that draws only about 10% of the Grand Canyon's millions of annual visitors. The fire destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging inside the park's North Rim, along with cabins, employee housing and a waste water treatment plant, park superintendent Ed Keable said on Sunday. From the air, plumes of black smoke could be seen rising above the canyon walls. Firefighters at the North Rim and hikers in the inner canyon were evacuated during the weekend over concerns about the fire and potential exposure to chlorine gas after a treatment plant burned. Rafters on the Colorado River, which snakes through the Grand Canyon, were told to bypass Phantom Ranch, an outpost of cabins and dormitories at the bottom of the canyon. Arizona governor Katie Hobbs called for a federal investigation into the National Park Service's decision not to first aggressively attack the fire, which was sparked by lightning July 4. Authorities first used a 'confine and contain' strategy by clearing fuel sources, but shifted to aggressive suppression a week later as the fire rapidly grew to 7.8 square miles because of hot temperatures, low humidity and strong wind gusts, fire officials said. 'Arizonans deserve answers for how this fire was allowed to decimate the Grand Canyon National Park,' the governor said in a social media post. No injuries have been reported, but 50 to 80 structures have been lost, the park superintendent said.
Telegraph
13 hours ago
- Telegraph
Watch: Grand Canyon's North Rim ravaged by wildfires
A wildfire on the Grand Canyon's North Rim has spread rapidly, destroying at least 50 buildings in the area. Firefighters are working to contain the blaze, which broke out on July 4 and has so far destroyed a historic lodge and visitor centre. Amidst the wildfire, access to the North Rim has been restricted. The area of the park, which is more isolated and attracts less visitors, will remain closed for the rest of the year. The Grand Canyon Lodge, the only place of residence inside the park's North Rim, was levelled in the fire. The historic building operated as a hotel and cabins complex. The building is well known for its historic limestone facade, wooden beams, and sweeping views of the canyon. A number of cabins, employee housing and a waste water treatment plant were also razed, Ed Keable, a park superintendent, said on Sunday. Plumes of black smoke were pictured rising over the walls of the canyon, which is one of seven wonders of the world. Firefighters and hikers in the area were forced to evacuate briefly over fears of potential exposure to chlorine gas after the treatment plant set alight. The initial blaze was sparked by lightning on July 4, but rapidly grew to 7.8 square miles (20 square kilometers) because of hot temperatures, low humidity and strong wind gusts, fire officials said. Katie Hobbs, the governor of Arizona, has called for a federal investigation into the National Park Service's decision not to tackle the fire aggressively when it first broke out. 'Arizonans deserve answers for how this fire was allowed to decimate the Grand Canyon National Park,' the governor said. No injuries have been reported but 50 to 80 structures have been lost, the park superintendent said. Nearly five million people visited the Grand Canyon in 2024, however most people tour the national park's South Rim.
The Guardian
14 hours ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Wildfire that destroyed Grand Canyon lodge spread after being left to burn for days
A wildfire raging along the Grand Canyon's North Rim that leveled a historic lodge erupted over the weekend after burning for more than a week, raising scrutiny over the National Park Service's decision not to aggressively attack the fire right away. Katie Hobbs, Arizona's governor, called for a federal investigation into the park service's handling of the fire, which was sparked by lightning on 4 July. 'Arizonans deserve answers for how this fire was allowed to decimate the Grand Canyon National Park,' the governor said in a social media post Sunday. 'The federal government chose to manage that fire as a controlled burn during the driest, hottest part of the Arizona summer.' Authorities first used a 'confine and contain' strategy by clearing fuel sources, but shifted to aggressive suppression as the fire rapidly grew to nearly 8 square miles (20.7 square kilometers) because of hot temperatures, low humidity and strong wind gusts, fire officials said. The fire destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging inside the park's North Rim, along with cabins, employee housing and a waste water treatment plant, park superintendent Ed Keable said Sunday. Park officials have closed access for the rest of the year to the North Rim, a less popular and more isolated area of the park that draws only about 10% of the Grand Canyon's millions of annual visitors. Hikers in the area were evacuated and rafters on the Colorado River, which snakes through the canyon, were told to bypass Phantom Ranch, an outpost of cabins and dormitories. No injuries have been reported, but 50 to 80 structures have been lost, the park superintendent said. From the air, plumes of black smoke could be seen rising above the canyon walls. The fire flared up Saturday night, fueled by high winds. Firefighters managed to make progress, using aerial fire retardant drops near the lodge before they had to pull back because of a chlorine gas leak at the water treatment plant, the park service said. Across the west, about three dozen fires are burning uncontained and another 80 fires are being managed to clear out vegetation that has clogged the landscape, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. So far this year, nearly 2.5 million acres have burned. That's slightly below the 10-year average, according to the center. Near the Grand Canyon's North Rim, there were two wildfires burning – the Dragon Bravo fire that destroyed the lodge and other buildings and the White Sage fire, which by Sunday afternoon had charred 63 square miles (162 square kilometers) of terrain. Officials reported progress in battling the White Sage Fire. Nearly 5 million people visited the Grand Canyon last year, with most sticking to the South Rim. Roads in the North Rim are closed to vehicles in the winter and the lodge opens in May through mid-October. The Grand Canyon Lodge, known for its huge ponderosa beams, massive limestone facade and a bronze statue of a donkey named 'Brighty the Burro,' was perched on the edge of the North Rim and offered sweeping views of the canyon. Caren Carney was staying at the lodge last week with her husband, parents and 12-year-old son when a park ranger knocked on their door Thursday and told them to evacuate. She was heartbroken Sunday to hear that such a 'magical place' had burned down. After evacuating, the family from Georgia went to the South Rim and could see the blaze from across the canyon. 'I'm so glad we got to have one final look at it in the present before it was lost,' Carney said. Aramark, the company that operated the lodge, said all employees and guests were safely evacuated. An original lodge burned down from a kitchen fire in 1932, four years after construction was completed, according to the Grand Canyon Historical Society. The redesigned lodge using the original stonework opened in 1937. Elsewhere, a wildfire burning in south-western Colorado closed Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and forced the evacuation of homes near the park. The fire was started by lightning Thursday on the south rim of the park, a dramatic, deep gorge carved by the Gunnison River. Jared Polis, Colorado's governor, issued a disaster declaration Sunday because of it and other fires burning in western Colorado.
