The Dragon Bravo Fire started burning on July 4, but grew out of control a week later because of strong winds and destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge.

The Grand Canyon Lodge was the park's one and only hotel, according the National Park Service, with the next nearest lodgings roughly 18 miles away.

Arizona's governor has demanded an investigation into why a wildfire that destroyed a historic lodge and dozens of other structures on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon was allowed to burn for a week before federal firefighters tried to put it out.

Lightning started the Dragon Bravo Fire on July 4, 2025. The fire was burning in the ponderosa pine forest within the northern national park boundaries, consuming 5,000 acres. The entire North Rim of the Grand Canyon was closed. The fire had burned between 50 and 80 structures on the North Rim, according to park officials.

The Grand Canyon Lodge was one of dozens of structures destroyed in a fast-moving wildfire in Arizona over the weekend, the National Park Service (NPS) confirmed.

A Grand Canyon water treatment facility located at the North Rim caught fire on Saturday, causing chlorine gas to be released into the air. Multiple closures are being enforced due to the incident.