Latest news with #JoelleBaird
Atlantic
15-07-2025
- Climate
- Atlantic
Photos: The Grand Canyon Burns
The Dragon Bravo wildfire in Arizona grew rapidly over the past weekend, destroying the historic Grand Canyon Lodge and dozens of other structures along the canyon's North Rim. July 15, 2025, 12:10 PM ET Michael Chow / The Arizona Republic / USA Today / Reuters The Dragon Bravo fire burns on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, as seen from the South Rim on July 14, 2025. Grand Canyon National Park / Getty In this handout image provided by Grand Canyon National Park, the Dragon Bravo fire is seen at Grand Canyon National Park on July 11, 2025. Due to increased fire activity, mandatory evacuation orders were issued earlier in the day for North Rim residents. Joelle Baird / Grand Canyon National Park / AP Smoke from wildfires settles in Grand Canyon National Park, as seen on July 11, 2025. National Park Service / AP This photo provided by the National Park Service shows firefighters working at the charred remains of a building along the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park on July 13, 2025. Joe Rondone / The Arizona Republic / USA Today / Reuters Smoke from the Dragon Bravo fire is viewed by visitors at the Mather Point Overlook on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon on July 13, 2025. Smoke from the Dragon Bravo fire colors a setting sun for onlookers at Grandeur Point on July 14, 2025. Michael Chow / The Arizona Republic / USA Today / Reuters The Dragon Bravo fire burns on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, as seen from the South Rim on July 14, 2025. The Dragon Bravo fire burns on the North Rim, as seen from Grandeur Point on July 14, 2025. The Dragon Bravo fire burns on the North Rim, as seen from Mather Point on July 15, 2025. Michael Chow / The Arizona Republic / USA Today / Reuters A night view of the Dragon Bravo fire, burning on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon on July 14, 2025. Alan Taylor is a senior editor at The Atlantic.
Forbes
14-07-2025
- Climate
- Forbes
Grand Canyon Lodge Destroyed As Extreme Heat And Wildfires Continue
In this photo provided by the National Park Service, smoke from wildfires settles over Grand Canyon ... More National Park in northern Arizona on Friday, July 11, 2025. (Joelle Baird/Grand Canyon National Park) The lone lodging structure inside Grand Canyon National Park has been destroyed. Officials reported that the Grand Canyon Lodge along with up to 80 structured were consumed by ongoing wildfires. Last week a hiker died while hiking the Grand Canyon in extreme heat conditions. Here is the latest update on heat and wildfire conditions threatening one of the nation's treasures and most popular tourist attractions. The Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim of Grand Canyon, Ariz., in June 2019. (AP Photo/Ryan ... More Pearson) The Fires Multiple wildfires have been burning in the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge which was opened in 1928. Ironically, it was destroyed a few years later by a cigarette fire but reopened in 1937. The White Sage Fire has also burned at least 40,000 acres. Both fires were likely ignited by lightning and are being amplified by winds up to 40 mph. Fires burning on July 14, 2025 along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The National Weather Service discussion on Monday morning warned that extreme heat conditions would continue in the region as a high pressure center lingers. This will continue to keep smoke and haze in the forecast for the next several days too. The high pressure center is expected to move eastward throughout the week, which will allow more moisture to enter the region. They wrote, 'For each day, the main threats will mainly be gusty outflow winds, though a couple brief downpours in any stronger storm will be possible.' The rains will be a welcome sight for the fires, but the winds could also be problematic for them as well. This photo provided by the Bureau of Land Management shows aerial resources working to suppress ... More White Sage wildfire burning north of Grand Canyon National Park in Ariz., on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (Bureau of Land Management, Arizona State Office via AP) The Heat Extreme heat is also present at the Grand Canyon and much of the U.S. Southwest. Officials remind tourists that exposed trails in the Grand Canyon can reach up to 120 degrees F on hot days. An Extreme Heat Warning remains in effect through the middle of the week for elevations below 4000 feet. Temperatures at the lowest canyon elevations will be well into the triple digits on Monday. Why is it hotter at the bottom of the canyon? Extreme heat in the Grand Canyon. There are several factors. Temperature increases as you go up in the atmosphere, which means at lower elevation it is warmer. Additionally, air tends to sink under high pressure systems and warms through a process called adiabatic compression. There is a greater distance for compressional warming as air descends into the canyon. The darker rocks at the bottom of the canyon and less vegetation also contribute to hotter conditions. The rocks absorb the radiation from the sun, and less vegetation allows more exposure. The Grand Canyon South Rim remains open, but visitors should be cognizant of extreme heat, smoke, and degraded air quality. The narrow canyon walls of Havasu Canyon, a side canyon of the Grand Canyon, are seen on June 30, ... More 2016. Havasu Canyon is located near the remote village of Supai, Arizona on the Havasupai Indian Reservation. (Photo by)
Global News
11-07-2025
- Climate
- Global News
Some U.S. parks evacuated due to wildfires, including Grand Canyon
Visitors and staff at two national parks in the U.S. West have been evacuated because of wildfires. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, about 260 miles (418 kilometers) southwest of Denver, closed Thursday morning after lighting sparked blazes on both rims, the park said. The wildfire on the South Rim has burned 2.5 square miles (6.5 square kilometers), with no containment of the perimeter. The park is closed until further notice. The conditions there have been ripe for wildfire with hot temperatures, low humidity, gusty winds and dry vegetation, the park said, adding that weather remained a concern Friday. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Firefighters saved the visitor center along the South Rim by removing dry vegetation and coating the building in a layer of protective material, fire officials said. Small aircrafts from Colorado's Division of Fire Prevention and Control dropped retardant from the sky Friday while ground crews tried to contain the burn. Story continues below advertisement 1:43 Kinew fires back at U.S. threats over wildfire smoke in Canada: 'No place for that in politics' The Grand Canyon's North Rim in Arizona also closed Thursday because of a wildfire on adjacent Bureau of Land Management land near Jacob Lake. The Coconino County Sheriff's Office said it helped evacuate people from an area north of Jacob Lake and campers in the Kaibab National Forest nearby. The fire began Wednesday evening after a thunderstorm moved through the area, fire officials said. It has burned about 1.5 square miles (3.9 square kilometers) with zero containment. About 500 visitors who planned to stay in the park overnight were evacuated Thursday night, Grand Canyon spokesperson Joelle Baird said. Employees and residents on the North Rim were told to shelter in place.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Yahoo
Phantom Ranch to open after 3 months. How to book Grand Canyon's most exclusive lodge
Grand Canyon National Park's most sought-after lodging experience is back in business after a three-month closure. Phantom Ranch, the rustic lodge nestled along Bright Angel Creek, reopened on Tuesday, April 1. It was closed since Jan. 2 to allow the installation of new water and electric lines, according to park staff. The lodge and canteen are open, but mule rides are still on hold. Phantom Ranch is in high demand because it's the only lodging at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. To get a reservation, people must enter a lottery 14 months ahead of when they want to go there. Here's what travelers should know about Phantom Ranch reopening. Yes. Cabins at Phantom Ranch reopened on April 1. The cabins vary in size and accommodate two to 10 people. Each one contains beds, a cold water sink, a toilet, liquid soap and hand towels. Showers, bath towels, hot water sinks and liquid soap/shampoo are in a separate bath house. Phantom Ranch's hiker dormitories remain closed. The canteen, which serves breakfast and dinner for guests with reservations, also reopened. Breakfast ($32.84) includes scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon or sausage, fruit salad, juice, coffee and tea; dinner includes steak ($64.82), beef stew ($46.24) or vegetable stew ($43.47). Stronghold Engineering, the contractor working on the $208 million Transcanyon Waterline project, installed new water and electric lines and performed what was described as "extensive excavation work" in the Phantom Ranch area. The Transcanyon Waterline delivers water to the inner canyon and the South Rim. Project work like the new line installations at Phantom Ranch are designed to improve its reliability, and park spokeswoman Joelle Baird said it could prevent future closures of the lodge related to breaks in the line. Park staff said there were 85 major breaks in the line disrupting water delivery since 2010. When breaks occur, it requires water restrictions and conservation measures that include closing hotels and lodges. Xanterra Travel Collection, a concessionaire of the National Park Service, operates Phantom Ranch. Xanterra also runs the historic El Tovar Hotel and the Bright Angel, Kachina, Thunderbird and Maswik lodges at the Grand Canyon's South Rim. A cabin for two people at Phantom Ranch costs $222 plus tax per night; additional people cost $21.50 each. Phantom Ranch also has a group cabin that can accommodate 10 people available for $355.20 plus tax per night. As the only lodging at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, demand for stays at Phantom Ranch is higher than supply. Guests must enter a lottery for Phantom Ranch bookings 14 months before their planned trip. The April 2025 lottery is for reservations in June 2026. The lottery for July 2026 will begin May 1, 2025. The Phantom Ranch lottery, which is free to enter, starts on the first day and ends on the 25th day of every month. You can enter starting at 12:01 a.m. MST on the first day of each month at Xanterra processes the submissions and notifies winners of the lottery. Then guests can book and guarantee their reservations. Any unsold or unclaimed reservations are released to general availability a year before the stays. For example, June 2026 stays — unless they sell out in the lottery — would be available for general sale June 1, 2025. Looking for the best things to do in Arizona? Sign up for our newsletter. Guests can stay at Phantom Ranch for up to four consecutive nights per reservation, according to Xanterra. Like the lottery for Phantom Ranch reservations, the hike from the South Rim to Phantom Ranch is a challenge. It's about a 7.5-mile hike down via the South Kaibab Trail, taking about four to five hours on average. The hike down is 10 miles via the Bright Angel Trail, taking an average of four to six hours. The hike back up, on average, is about six to 10 hours, according to Xanterra. For every hour it takes to hike down, it takes two to hike up. Mule rides to Phantom Ranch are canceled through at least Dec. 31, 2025, because of trail conditions, according to Xanterra. When Phantom Ranch closed for the water line work, Xanterra said mule rides would be canceled through August 2025. Now they are on pause for the entire year. Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who's covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic's consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at Sedona bucket list: 10 most magical things to do in red-rock country This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Exclusive Grand Canyon lodge reopens after 3 months
