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| Grand Canyon Lodge destroyed amid raging Arizona wildfires | Grand Canyon Lodge destroyed amid raging Arizona wildfires |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| The Grand Canyon Lodge was one of dozens of structures destroyed by the Dragon Bravo Fire | The Grand Canyon Lodge was one of dozens of structures destroyed by the Dragon Bravo Fire |
| A raging wildfire near the Grand Canyon in the US has destroyed dozens of buildings - including a historic lodge that was the only accommodation available within the surrounding national park's North Rim. | A raging wildfire near the Grand Canyon in the US has destroyed dozens of buildings - including a historic lodge that was the only accommodation available within the surrounding national park's North Rim. |
| The fire that destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge is one of two that has swept across tens of thousands of acres in the area. | The fire that destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge is one of two that has swept across tens of thousands of acres in the area. |
| The blazes have also forced the closure of the North Rim for the remainder of the 2025 tourist season. | The blazes have also forced the closure of the North Rim for the remainder of the 2025 tourist season. |
| Authorities in the state of Arizona are still working to contain the fires, which have been dubbed the Dragon Bravo Fire and White Sage Fire. | Authorities in the state of Arizona are still working to contain the fires, which have been dubbed the Dragon Bravo Fire and White Sage Fire. |
| Watch: Wildfire burns parts of the Grand Canyon National Park | Watch: Wildfire burns parts of the Grand Canyon National Park |
| The Dragon Bravo Fire began on 4 July and was caused by a lightning strike, according to authorities. The Wild Sage Fire, meanwhile, was reported on 9 July after a thunderstorm rolled through the area. Both are 0% contained as of Monday. | |
| Located approximately 8,000ft (2,438m), the Grand Canyon Lodge also included dining facilities, a gift shop and post office. It had been operating since the 1930s. | Located approximately 8,000ft (2,438m), the Grand Canyon Lodge also included dining facilities, a gift shop and post office. It had been operating since the 1930s. |
| "As stewards of some of our country's most beloved national treasures, we are devastated by the loss of the Grand Canyon Lodge," Aramark, the company that operated the lodge, said in a statement. | "As stewards of some of our country's most beloved national treasures, we are devastated by the loss of the Grand Canyon Lodge," Aramark, the company that operated the lodge, said in a statement. |
| "We are grateful that all of our employees and guests have been safely evacuated," the statement added. | "We are grateful that all of our employees and guests have been safely evacuated," the statement added. |
| No injuries are reported to have been caused by the blaze, which was fuelled by sustained winds that reached up to 40mph (64km/h). | No injuries are reported to have been caused by the blaze, which was fuelled by sustained winds that reached up to 40mph (64km/h). |
| But preliminary assessments from the National Park Service (NPS) indicate that between 50 and 80 buildings have been lost to the Dragon Bravo Fire, including administrative buildings and visitor facilities. | But preliminary assessments from the National Park Service (NPS) indicate that between 50 and 80 buildings have been lost to the Dragon Bravo Fire, including administrative buildings and visitor facilities. |
| Firefighters in several areas were forced to evacuate due to a leak of chlorine at a nearby water treatment facility, the NPS added. | Firefighters in several areas were forced to evacuate due to a leak of chlorine at a nearby water treatment facility, the NPS added. |
| Chlorine gas is heavier than air and can settle in lower elevations, potentially posing a risk to both firefighters and hikers in the area. | Chlorine gas is heavier than air and can settle in lower elevations, potentially posing a risk to both firefighters and hikers in the area. |
| Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, thanked first responders but called for an inquiry into the federal government's handling of the Dragon Bravo Fire. | |
| "While the flame was started with a lightning strike, the federal government chose to manage that fire as a controlled burn during the driest, hottest part of the Arizona summer," Hobbs wrote in a social media post on Sunday. | |
| She added there should be "intense oversight and scrutiny" and called on the federal government to investigate the response. | |
| In a statement to media, Elizabeth Peace, a spokesperson for the US Interior Department, said the allegation that the fire was mismanaged "is not at all accurate and our wildland fire experts certainly know the difference". | |
| She added that the department takes the threat of wildfires "with the utmost seriousness". | |
| The second blaze, the White Sage Fire, has so far burned more than 40,000 acres of the Kaibab National Forest, forcing hundreds to evacuate. | The second blaze, the White Sage Fire, has so far burned more than 40,000 acres of the Kaibab National Forest, forcing hundreds to evacuate. |
| Nearly five million people visited the Grand Canyon in 2024, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the US. | Nearly five million people visited the Grand Canyon in 2024, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the US. |
| The canyon's South Rim remains open. | The canyon's South Rim remains open. |