Wildfire continues to rage across U.S. Grand Canyon National Park

Fueled by gusty winds and bone-dry timber, Arizona's Dragon Bravo Fire sweeping across the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park had grown to roughly 472 square kilometers as of Sunday, according to the U.S. interagency website on wildfire.

The blaze, ignited by a July 4 lightning strike on the Walhalla Plateau inside the park, is only 12 percent contained as of Sunday despite the round-the-clock efforts of 1,214 firefighters supported by helicopters and large air tankers.

Over 900 people, along with 54 trail mules and staff, have been safely evacuated. Since mid-July, firefighters have worked to contain the wildfire by using graded forest roads, canyon walls, and remnants of previous burns as natural barriers.

Meteorologists expect monsoon moisture to move into northern Arizona by mid-week, increasing humidity and bringing a chance of showers, according to the latest fire weather briefing.

Official records show the fire began as a smolder on July 4 before rapidly intensifying. By July 10, authorities had evacuated 500 visitors as conditions worsened.

The situation became critical on July 12 when strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly throughout the lodge district. The U.S. National Park Service confirmed the next day that the Grand Canyon Lodge, dating back to the 1920s, along with its stone dining room, dozens of pine-sided tourist cabins and several utility buildings, had been consumed in less than two hours.

By July 31, the fire had surpassed 400 square km, making it one of Arizona's ten largest wildfires in history.

Officials warn that full containment may still be weeks away, depending on weather conditions, fuel moisture levels, and the fire's behavior.

(Cover: Smoke and a pyrocumulus cloud rise at sunset from the Dragon Bravo Fire at the Grand Canyon as seen from Mather Point near Grand Canyon Village, Arizona, the U.S., July 28, 2025. /VCG)