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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Highway and inn reopen as fire near Grand Canyon further controlled
One long-burning wildfire north of the Grand Canyon was substantially contained as of July 26, with a major highway reopening and an inn that had been evacuated once again welcoming guests. But an even older fire closer to the canyon's edge, which already destroyed historic structures in the developed North Rim area of Grand Canyon National Park, was threatening another tourist spot. Together, the pair of lightning-caused fires has scorched over 94,000 acres. The White Sage Fire, which started July 9, has spread across 58,985 acres of the northern Kaibab National Forest and was 81% contained, according to the Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team 6. The east-west highway of U.S. Route 89A from Bitter Springs to Fredonia had reopened to the public, but officials warned that smoke would still be visible from the freeway. Nearby State Route 67, which runs north-south from Jacob Lake to the developed area of the North Rim, remained closed, according to the Great Basin team. On all but the difficult-to-access east side of the fire, crews have already planted seeds to restore the environment and repaired fences, according to the Great Basin team. The Great Basin team planned to hand the fire over to the smaller Color Country Team 2, further signifying the fire was on a path toward total containment. Crews projected July 30 as the earliest possible date for the fire's total containment, according to InciWeb, a federal wildfire tracking system. The nearby Jacob Lake Inn, which had temporarily closed due to the fire, reopened as of July 24, according to a Facebook post. About 30 miles to the south, the Dragon Bravo Fire, which started July 4 and destroyed much of the North Rim tourist hub inside Grand Canyon National Park, had grown to 35,456 acres and was 26% contained, according to the Southwest Area Complex Incident Management Team 4. Crews saw gusty winds increase fire activity on July 25, which spread the fire to the north and intensified the existing blaze on the west side, according to the Southwest team. The team said "record dry conditions" meant firefighters would need to reinforce perimeter lines and prepare for potential structure protection near the Kaibab Lodge, a complex of tourist cabins about 5 miles north of the entrance to Grand Canyon National Park off SR 67. Aircraft were ready for an increase in fire activity, especially on the canyon edges, where the fire could spread into grass and sagebrush at lower elevations, according to the management team. The Kaibab Lodge took to Facebook around 4 p.m. to share a photo of dense smoke not far from the property. "The Dragon Bravo Fire is rapidly approaching Kaibab Lodge," the post said. "Please keep the firefighters, lodge staff, and the surrounding community in your thoughts." Over 1,300 firefighters remained on the scene of the two fires, officials said. Rey Covarrubias Jr. reports breaking news for The Arizona Republic and Email him at: rcovarrubias@ and connect with him on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter) at @ReyCJrAZ. (This article was updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Highway and inn reopen as fire near Grand Canyon controlled Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Monsoonal storms helping Utah firefighters, but dry conditions in the forecast
Firefighters are taking advantage of help from Mother Nature as they look to quell several wildfires still burning across Utah. Monsoonal storms returned to the state over the last few days, producing isolated showers that have conveniently parked over some of the firefighting operations. About 0.72 inches of rain fell over the Forsyth Fire in northern Washington County on Thursday, while 0.20 inches of rain fell on Monroe Mountain on Wednesday, followed by 0.25 to 0.63 inches of rain in the Fish Lake and Cove Fort areas, all close to the Monroe Canyon Fire. That's helped slow down fire activity, giving firefighters an upper hand after weeks of hot, dry and windy conditions. Crews began establishing direct fire lines in parts of the Monroe Canyon Fire in recent days, aided by 'cooler, wetter weather conditions,' according to the Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team overseeing operations. While the fire remained 0% contained on Friday, its size remained at 8,646 acres, similar to what was reported on Wednesday. Forsyth Fire growth was 'minimal' on Thursday because of the thunderstorm, federal firefighters added in an update of the fire. It is now 84% contained after burning 15,662 acres. Cloud cover and cooler temperatures also helped firefighters make 'good progress' on the Deer Creek Fire burning in San Juan County and southwest Colorado. It has burned 15,819 acres, but is now 11% contained. 'We are fortunate that the monsoonal moisture did hit our larger fires, and is helping us out,' Kelly Wickens, public information officer for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, told on Friday. In addition to rain, Wickens points out that monsoons provide cooler weather that helps 'moderate' fire behavior. That gives firefighters a better chance to increase fire suppression efforts and carry out activities, such as digging containment lines to control the fire's growth. All of these can move faster because the fire isn't spreading as quickly. Monsoonal moisture to linger More isolated showers are expected on Friday across the state as a high-pressure system over the Texas panhandle and a low-pressure system off the Pacific Coast near the California-Mexico border help pump oceanic moisture into the Southwest, including Utah, said KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson. Storms will likely start in the mountains before moving into the valleys, especially by Friday afternoon. Clouds over the Wasatch Front Friday morning could lower the potential of storms bubbling up in the area, he said. Johnson said more scattered showers are possible Saturday and Sunday, especially in southern Utah. It's unclear how productive any of the storms will be because it depends on how much moisture remains in the atmosphere and where a storm sets up, which is one of the challenges of forecasting monsoons. 'It just depends. It's hard for models to resolve exactly where these storms might land,' Johnson said, adding that Thursday's totals provide an example of how productive the storms can be. Monsoons can pose some problems, too. A flash flood warning was issued in the Pine Valley area on Thursday over potential debris flows from the fire's burn scar. Flash flooding is possible again in slot canyons, dry washes and recent burn scars over the next few days, the National Weather Service advises. Storms may also produce lightning that can start new fires. Drier conditions on deck The additional moisture could be short-lived, though. Hot and dry conditions are forecast to return to the state by early next week. Long-range models indicate that monsoonal moisture could be 'spotty' through the rest of July, state officials noted earlier this week. That's why firefighters are racing to take advantage of monsoon benefits while they still can. 'It can definitely heat back up, and we'll be right in the same situation that we were before the monsoonal moisture,' Wickens said. Solve the daily Crossword
