A Grand Canyon Access Point Is Closed as 19,000 Acres Burn Nearby

Two wildfires that have burned more than 45,000 acres destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge along with scores of other structures, the National Park Service said on Sunday.

The lodge, on the North Rim of the canyon, is among 50 to 80 buildings, including administration offices and visitor sites, that have been lost in the fires so far, the Park Service said on Facebook. No injuries have been reported.

Firefighters are battling two wildfires: the White Sage fire, which had grown to more than 40,000 acres by Sunday, and the Dragon Bravo fire, which was reported to be 5,000 acres.

On Saturday night, the Dragon Bravo fire “exhibited extreme and volatile fire behavior” that led to a 500-acre expansion, the destruction of the Grand Canyon Lodge and several cabins, the Park Service said.

“Firefighters made significant efforts overnight to slow the fire’s progression under dangerous and fast-changing conditions,” the Park Service said.

Officials said that, given the fire’s behavior, “the North Rim will remain closed to all visitor access for the remainder of the 2025 season.”

The North Rim is open seasonally and is visited by 10 percent of visitors to the Grand Canyon. In 2024, nearly five million people visited Grand Canyon National Park.

The original Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim was built in 1928 and designed by the architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood for the Utah Parks Company, a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railroad; it was destroyed after a fire in 1932, according to the Park Service.

A new lodge — also designed by Mr. Underwood — was built on the same site between 1936 and 1937. The second structure retained much of the native Kaibab limestone from the original lodge and was designed to be more practical, with a sloped roof to handle snowfall.

The complex included the main lodge building, 23 deluxe cabins and 91 standard cabins, according to the Park Service.

The Dragon Bravo fire started on July 4 and was ignited by lightning, according to a wildfire tracking website.

On Saturday, the Dragon Bravo fire reached a water treatment plant, igniting a fire and causing the release of chlorine gas, the Park Service said. Chlorine gas, which is heavier than air, can sink into low-lying areas like ravines and the inner canyon, officials said.

When they recognized the potential health risk, officials evacuated firefighters from the North Rim.

“Aerial bucket drops were conducted to slow fire movement near the Grand Canyon Lodge and Transept Canyon,” the Park Service said. “However, the use of aerial retardant was not feasible due to a chlorine gas leak at the water treatment facility.”

The White Sage fire started on Wednesday evening, also with a lightning strike, near Fredonia, Ariz., according to the Bureau of Land Management.