Partial blue skies in the morning allowed many park visitors to ignore fires on the North Rim. By afternoon, ashfall made for a different story.

The Grand Canyon Lodge was the park's one and only hotel, according the National Park Service, with the next nearest lodgings roughly 18 miles away.

The Dragon Bravo Fire started burning on July 4, but grew out of control a week later because of strong winds and destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge.

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.

Strong winds and hot, dry weather continue to fuel two separate wildfires near the northwestern side of the Grand Canyon Saturday, closing the canyon’s North Rim and forcing evacuations throughout the area.