With Labor Day just around the corner, the Dragon Bravo Fire continues to rage across the northern edge of Grand Canyon National Park in northwestern Arizona—about 168 miles from Las Vegas. It was sparked by lightning on July 4th and has consumed 145,504 acres so far, with containment currently at only 63%, despite favorable weather and some monsoon moisture.
Initially, National Park Service officials opted for a managed approach rather than complete suppression, using what’s termed as “confinement containment.” This strategy aims to mitigate future fire risks while encouraging healthier plant growth, although it hasn’t worked out entirely as planned.
A week after the fire started, strong, unexpected winds swept through the area, causing the situation to spiral out of control. The iconic Grand Canyon Lodge, established in 1928, was one of the casualties, alongside 50 to 80 other structures and many historic cabins.
Some experts suggest that the approach taken by NPS reflects a kind of negligence, pointing to previous disasters like the Cerro Grande Fire in 2000, which devastated the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Recently, elected officials in Arizona have asked for a review regarding NPS’s initial strategies to handle the flames and claim that the agency overlooked its fire management plan.
In the meantime, visitors are unable to access the North Rim for the rest of the NPS’s mid-May to mid-October season. Many are left wondering if the Grand Canyon Lodge will ever be restored to its former glory, along with many other accommodations that serve the millions of visitors each year. There hasn’t been any comment from the Trump administration or NPS yet, but I have my doubts. Sure, the lodge was rebuilt in 1937 after a previous fire, but it’s a different world now.
My own experience in the 1990s reminded me how complex such restorations can be. I worked on trying to revive an iconic structure in Colorado, and it became apparent that agencies have a lot of leeway, which can be frustrating. We lost that battle, unfortunately.
Back in the 1860s, Albert Bierstadt famously trekked to a stunning peak about 35 miles west of Denver, ultimately naming it Mount Rosalie after his future wife. His paintings of the American West captured the imagination of many, but the peak’s name only lasted until 1895, when it was changed to Mount Evans. As of 2023, it has undergone another name change to Blue Sky.
As early as the 1920s, interest grew in accessing these natural wonders, culminating in the completion of a paved road to the summit in the late 1930s. That led to the construction of a visitor facility known as Crest House, which was completed in 1941 and became a critical resource for tourists and rescue teams alike.
Sadly, that chapter ended on September 1, 1979, when a propane fire reduced Crest House to ashes. Despite damages that topped $500,000, the decision makers led by President George H.W. Bush chose to forgo rebuilding the structure, opting instead for a less significant viewing platform and station, ignoring numerous pleas to restore the historical site.
A local forest ranger’s lament from 1941 echoes today—those who believe NPS will handle the Grand Canyon Lodge restoration differently from how the Forest Service treated Crest House may be setting themselves up for disappointment. After all, it has been several decades since NPS last rebuilt a historic structure. Time will tell how they proceed this time around.
