Significant Fire Growth Near Grand Canyon

A fire near the Grand Canyon, named the White Sage fire, has drastically increased in size—nearly 20 times larger in just 24 hours.

Located in Jacobreak, Arizona, roughly 650 miles southwest of Denver, Colorado, the blaze has surged from 1,000 acres to approximately 20,000 acres, as noted on government websites tracking wildfire activities. Currently, it remains at 0% containment.

The fire ignited last Thursday due to a lightning strike, prompting park officials to close the area to visitors until at least Saturday. Parts of the North Rim in Grand Canyon National Park have been evacuated. Many trails, such as the Silver Bridge, River Trail, and Plateau Point Trail, were also closed due to dangerously high temperatures.

On Friday, authorities reported that around 500 visitors had been evacuated, along with park staff and local residents.

As a precaution, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management closed public access to federal land in the vicinity of the White Sage fire starting Saturday.

By Saturday afternoon, the fire was just three miles from Jacobreak Inn in Fredonia, Arizona. This lodge, established in 1923 by Melinda Rich Marshall’s great-grandparents, has served as a family-run business in the North Rim community for over a century.

Earlier this week, Marshall expressed a mix of anxiety and determination as she coordinated the evacuation of guests, employees, and valuable artifacts, leaving caretakers to manage the premises safely. She remarked, “Emotions go up and down.”

Reflecting on the items left behind, she said, “There are definitely things we left behind that we couldn’t take, but we’re really thankful that all of our staff are safe.”

Marshall contemplated the future of the lodge amidst the uncertainty surrounding the evolving fire situation. She had been following the fire’s growth, noticing it had doubled in size since Friday. “We were told it was about 1,000 acres,” she noted. “It’s really unpredictable and hard to manage, which heightens those emotions.”

Meanwhile, the nearby Dragon Bravo Fire within Grand Canyon National Park has also expanded, reaching 5,000 acres since its ignition from a lightning strike on July 4, according to the National Park Service.

Conditions in the area, with high temperatures, low humidity, and gusty winds contributing to the wildfire risk, were highlighted by Grand Canyon National Park in their updates.

In the forecast for Sunday, the National Weather Service predicted highs of around 90 degrees and wind gusts of up to 16 mph.