I visited the Grand Canyon's North Rim looking for a uniquely Arizona experience. Instead, it taught me what it meant to be an Arizonan.

The visitor center and a wastewater treatment plant were among the 50 to 80 structures lost, the park superintendent said. The area was evacuated Thursday.

A wildfire has forced the Grand Canyon National Park’s North Rim to close for the rest of the 2025 season and destroyed the lodge located in the park, a historic landmark, the National Park Service said.

A combination of high winds, dry air and above average temperatures caused a wildfire in the Grand Canyon to rapidly expand and cause major damage.

The congressman is the latest lawmaker asking why the Dragon Bravo fire was not immediately extinguished when it was ignited by lightning on July 4.

The two fires in northern Arizona have varied landscapes. Ponderosa pine trees grow near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and can live for hundreds of years. Woodlands and grasslands are quick to burn and can serve as home to a variety of wildlife species.

The Grand Canyon's North Bravo Fire intensified on July 11, the day before Katy Rock Shop owner Jacob Proctor and his family arrived at the national park.