Grand Canyon Lodge destroyed in wildfire: What we know | Climate Crisis News

A rapidly moving wildfire has engulfed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge in Arizona in the United States.

The fire forced officials to close access to the Grand Canyon’s North Rim on Sunday, and residents and tourists were evacuated.

Here is what happened to the Grand Canyon Lodge and what is the latest:

What happened to the Grand Canyon Lodge?

Two wildfires, the White Sage Fire and the Dragon Bravo Fire, are currently burning at or near the Grand Canyon’s North Rim.

The Dragon Bravo Fire is the one that burned the Grand Canyon Lodge and nearby structures.

It was sparked by lightning on July 4 and expanded to 200 hectares (500 acres) in a little more than a week, according to the National Park Service (NPS).

Dragon Bravo was driven by sustained winds of 32 kilometres per hour (20 miles per hour) and gusts as strong as 64km/h (40mph).

The White Sage Fire was also started by lightning on July 9. By July 13, it had spread to 40,186 acres (16,263 hectares), according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.

The NPS said no casualties have been reported and residents and tourists were safely evacuated.

What is the lodge known for?

The Grand Canyon Lodge was a seasonal hotel on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park in Coconino County in northern Arizona.

The lodge had stood on a North Rim elevation since 1928 and was designed by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood.

The original lodge burned down in a kitchen fire in 1932 and was rebuilt in 1937, based on the original plan and stonework.

However, it was scaled back and built without a second storey.

The main lodge and its 120 cabins were open seasonally. This year, the lodge opened on May 15 and was to have stayed open until October 15.

It has drawn people for decades with its breathtaking views of one of the natural wonders of the US.

What is the Grand Canyon?

The Grand Canyon was carved by the Colorado River and is about 446km (277 miles) long, up to 29km (18 miles) wide and more than 1.6km (1 mile) deep in spots.

The canyon exposes layers of red sandstone and multicoloured bands of other rock, revealing almost 2 billion years of Earth’s geological history.

The Grand Canyon is one of the most visited US national parks with millions of visitors a year and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The NPS said that according to preliminary assessments, 50 to 80 structures have been lost in the wildfires, including NPS administrative buildings and visitor facilities.

What rescue efforts are in place?

The Grand Canyon National Park was evacuated on Thursday because of the wildfire and will remain closed for the rest of the season.

Five hundred personnel have been assigned to fight the White Sage Fire, according to the Forest Service.

On July 9, an update published on the Grand Canyon National Park’s Facebook page said authorities were using a “confine/contain” strategy to manage the Dragon Bravo Fire.

“This means the fire is being allowed to fulfil its natural role within a defined area, while firefighters take action to limit its spread where necessary,” the post said, adding that the fire did not pose threats to infrastructure or public safety at the time.

On Thursday, the park said the Dragon Bravo Fire was being managed with a “full suppression” strategy and by Friday, it posted another update on Facebook saying: “The fire is being managed with an aggressive full suppression strategy.”

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, thanked firefighters and first responders working to manage the fire while questioning the Republican-led federal government’s response.

“They must first take aggressive action to end the wildfire and prevent further damage,” Hobbs wrote in a post on X on Sunday.

She said in another post: “An incident of this magnitude demands intense oversight and scrutiny into the federal government’s emergency response.”

What’s the latest on the ground?

The fires are still burning.

While firefighting efforts are ongoing, authorities said they have been hindered by hot, dry winds.

“Crews encountered very extreme fire behavior due to the dry conditions [and] gusty and erratic winds inhibiting the ability for fire fighters to safely engage the fire,” the Bureau of Land Management said about the White Sage Fire.

The Forest Service also reported record-high energy release components (ERCs), which is a measure of how dry and flammable vegetation is,. This combination of factors is creating a volatile environment.

The Dragon Bravo Fire is also posing challenges to firefighters.

The NPS reported that aerial fire retardant was being deployed to slow the fire near the lodge, but a chlorine gas leak at the North Rim water treatment facility prompted the evacuation of firefighters from key areas nearby, halting operations.

The gas leak was a result of the water treatment plant being impacted by the fire.

Chlorine gas can irritate the eyes, nose and throat. It can also cause lung injuries and, in severe cases, sudden death, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The North Rim remains closed for firefighting operations.

The chlorine leak has also prompted closures of Phantom Ranch, which sits at the bottom of the Grand Canyon just north of the Colorado River; the North Kaibab Trail, which begins on the North Rim and descends to the river; and the South Kaibab Trail, which begins on the South Rim and descends to the Colorado.