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Dragon Bravo fire burns down Grand Canyon Lodge; firefighting efforts complicated by chlorine gas from damaged water treatment facility

  • Writer: Ty Gant
    Ty Gant
  • 7 minutes ago
  • 2 min read

On July 4, 2025, a light­ning strike ignited a tree in the Grand Canyon National Park; the fire was reported, and crews were on scene preparing for a controlled burn protocol within the day. Multiple reports from fire management teams responding to the fire stated the intent to allow Dragon Bravo as a controlled burn, to remove overgrowth and reduce fuel presence in an already fire-adapted biome.


Images via National Park Service and InciWeb.


However, over the follow­ing weekend, unexpectedly strong winds and dry tem­peratures caused the fire to leap across protective lines and bypass retardant measures. By the following Monday, the fire had bro­ken containment and was spreading into hundreds of acres. Firefighting ef­forts continued through the week, with continued heat and winds pushing the fire into four-digit acreage. Full suppression measures were taken by July 11, and on that weekend, the fire spread into multiple fa­cilities on Grand Canyon’s North Rim - at which point, multiple structures, in­cluding the Grand Canyon Lodge on the rim burned.


On July 12, the fire dam­aged a water treatment facility in the canyon, releasing hazardous chlo­rine gas. The gas, being heavier than air, filled the lower reaches of the can­yon and prompted further emergency evacuations and biohazard cautions.


As of Tuesday, July 15, the fire was at zero percent containment, had burned across 8,500 acres and had damaged or destroyed more than 80 structures, including the Lodge and the water treatment facility mentioned above, with over 366 personnel dedicated to the fire. No deaths or injuries had been reported.

Per reports from the Na­tional Park Service, the North Rim will remain closed to all visitor access for the remainder of the 2025 season. Additional inner canyon areas will remain closed, including North Kaibab Trail, South Kaibab Trail, Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Trail. The NPS’ primary ob­jectives are stated as: Pro­tecting the lives and safety of firefighting personnel and the public, preserving the remaining structures on the North Rim and safe­guarding the cultural and natural resources within Grand Canyon National Park.


Further information is available in real time on InciWeb’s Dragon Bravo Fire page and in the Grand Canyon portion of the NPS website.

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