Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs took a somber aerial tour of the wildfire damage along the Grand Canyon’s North Rim on Saturday. The Democratic leader witnessed the blackened landscape and the ruins of the Grand Canyon Lodge, a nearly 100-year-old structure, which was mostly reduced to a bare frame. Thick plumes of white smoke still rose from parts of the area, and countless trees stood as charred skeletons on the scorched earth.
The fire, known as the Dragon Bravo fire, started with a lightning strike on July 4. For the first few days, the National Park Service let it burn under a long-standing “confine and contain” policy designed to clear out dense brush and protect the ecosystem. But the blaze quickly worsened because of strong winds, hot weather, and low humidity. Officials then shifted their approach to actively fighting the fire and evacuated people from the affected zones. So far, the fire has burned more than 18 square miles and is about 8% contained, according to fire officials. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported.
After her helicopter tour, Governor Hobbs visited the fire’s command post, a makeshift camp made up of trailers, tents, and yurts, supporting over 800 firefighters and personnel from multiple agencies. There, she met with officials from the National Park Service, the Department of the Interior, and other groups involved in managing the suppression efforts. Hobbs said it was good to hear that reducing risks and preventing future fires remain a priority for the federal government.
“This is federal land, but fires don’t respect boundaries. We have to work together,” Hobbs said.
The governor has called for a full investigation into why the fire wasn’t extinguished sooner during one of the hottest and driest parts of summer. She doesn’t question the initial decisions but wants to understand the reasoning and identify if any mistakes were made. Members of Arizona’s congressional delegation have also raised concerns about the fire response. The Park Service has defended its handling of the situation.
Governor Hobbs is scheduled to meet soon with leaders from the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to discuss how the wildfire was managed. She stated she has seen no evidence that a lack of federal resources played a role in the fire’s spread.
Last month, the Trump administration moved to combine wildland firefighting under a single program, a change some experts warned could lead to increased risks and higher costs.
For now, the North Rim remains closed for the rest of its season. Nearby campgrounds along the Colorado River at the canyon’s base are also shut down as crews continue battling the fire. The recovery and investigation into this devastating wildfire are just beginning.