Dragon Bravo Fire: Arizona lawmakers demand investigation
Dragon Bravo Fire: AZ Senators demand probe
Lawmakers in Arizona are demanding an investigation into why the National Park Service made a decision to allow the lightning-caused Dragon Bravo Fire to continue as a controlled burn. FOX 10's Lindsey Ragas reports.
PHOENIX - Lawmakers are demanding an investigation into the Dragon Bravo Fire that is burning in northern Arizona.
Specifically, they want to know why the National Park Service made the decision to let the lightning-caused fire continue as a controlled burn.
What we know:
On July 14, Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly joined Gov. Katie Hobbs in demanding answers.
In a letter sent to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, the two Democratic senators addressed the fire's handling.
"We are concerned that treatment and response decisions may have affected the spread of fire in northern Arizona, and not for the first time," read a portion of the letter.
On July 13, we reported that Gov. Hobbs criticized the federal government's handling of the Dragon Bravo Fire.
"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, but Arizonans deserve answers for how this fire was allowed to decimate the Grand Canyon National Park. While the flame was started 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," read a portion of Gov. Hobb's statement.
Dig deeper:
The ‘not for the first time’ phrase in Sens. Gallego and Kelly's letter refers to the Warm Fire in 2006, which also burned on the North Rim. Fire managers decided to let the lightning-caused fire burn as a wildland use fire, and the fire went on to burn 59,000 acres of land.
Fire has burned thousands of acres of land
Grand Canyon area ravaged by wildfires
Crews are working around the clock to contain the Dragon Bravo Fire in the Grand Canyon area, which has burned at least 70 structures, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, which is a well-known Arizona landmark. FOX 10's Lauren Clark has more.
As of July 16, figures from Watch Duty show the fire has burned over 11,000 acres of land, with no containment.
What they're saying:
"Fire activity on the Dragon Bravo Fire remains high-to-extreme with heavy fire activity occurring overnight," a portion of the website reads.
The Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed numerous buildings, including the historic North Rim Lodge. Officials have confirmed that the North Rim is closed for the rest of the 2025 season.
Local perspective:
As firefighting efforts continue, tourists from around the world are looking sadly on what is normally one of the grandest views in the world.
Some, like Caren Carney from Georgia, are speaking out about a trip that had a rather unexpected surprise.
"We had booked three days up at the Grand Canyon," said Carney, who came up to the Grand Canyon with her 12-year-old son to relive the same trip she took when she was 12.
Little did Carney know she would be among the last people to ever see the iconic North Rim Lodge in its glory. Carney was among those evacuated on July 10. They could see the glow of the flames and smoke as they drove out.
"It makes me very sad," Carney said. "It was a magical place."