Historic Grand Canyon lodge destroyed as Arizona wildfires rage

The Grand Canyon Lodge, a historic site in Grand Canyon National Park, was among several buildings destroyed as wildfires in the US state of Arizona forced evacuations amid extreme heat, dry weather and strong winds.

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs on Sunday called for an investigation into the fire that destroyed the Grand Canyon's historic lodge. On X, she said that although the fire began with a lightning strike, “the federal government chose to manage that fire as a controlled burn” during “the driest, hottest part of the Arizona summer.”

“An incident of this magnitude demands intense oversight and scrutiny into the federal government's emergency response. They must first take aggressive action to end the wildfire and prevent further damage,” Hobbs added.

The Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed or damaged a water treatment plant, numerous historic cabins and the North Rim's only lodge, which had operated since 1937, according to the National Park Service.

As of Sunday night, the wildfires, which began on July 4 near the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, had spread uncontrollably across approximately 5,000 acres (2,023 hectares), digital daily Axios reported.

The nearby White Sage Fire, which started after a thunderstorm on July 9, had expanded to nearly 40,200 acres with 0% containment, the US Forest Service reported.

The fire also led to road closures near House Rock Valley, the Bureau of Land Management's Arizona Fire Management said on X Sunday night.