Dragon Bravo Fire ‘volatile,’ growing 500 acres and destroying numerous historic cabins

GRAND CANYON, Arizona (ABC4) — The Dragon Bravo Fire on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is exhibiting “extreme and volatile fire behavior,” park officials said in a release Sunday. The wildfire has expanded 500 acres and destroyed numerous historic cabins, including the loss of the Grand Canyon Lodge.

The North Rim is closed to all visitor access for the remainder of the 2025 season, officials said.

The wildfire grew 500 acres overnight, intensifying rapidly at around 10:30 p.m. on July 12 due to winds of 20 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Firefighters reportedly made “significant efforts” overnight to slow the spread of the fire under dangerous and fast-changing conditions.

While an aerial response conducted bucket drops over the blaze to slow the wildfire near the Grand Canyon Lodge and Transept Canyon, the use of aerial retardant was “not feasible” because of a chlorine gas leak at the North Rim water treatment facility.

The leak required the evacuation of firefighting personnel from critical nearby zones.

Between 50 and 80 structures have been lost, park officials said Sunday. These include National Park Service administrative buildings and visitor facilities. No injuries or loss of life have been reported — all staff and residents were successfully evacuated prior to the fire’s escalation.

“The fire is being managed with an aggressive full suppression strategy,” Sunday’s update states. “Fire behavior is still very active, driven by hot temperatures, low relative humidity, and continued strong wind gusts. On July 13, fire managers began ordering retardant drops on the east side of the developed area, including the Roaring Springs drainage, as suppression efforts continue.”

The North Rim will remain closed to all visitor access for the remainder of the 2025 season due to continued active fire behavior and ongoing risks to personnel and infrastructure, officials said.

All inner canyon corridor trails, campgrounds, and associated areas are closed until further notice, including:

• North Kaibab Trail
• South Kaibab Trail
• Bright Angel Trail
• Phantom Ranch
• Bright Angel Trail below Havasupai Gardens

Park officials list the following objectives as top priority:

• Protecting the lives and safety of firefighting personnel and the public
• Preserving the remaining structures on the North Rim
• Safeguarding cultural and natural resources within Grand Canyon National Park

To stay updated on the Dragon Bravo Fire, visit the incident report website here.