Dragon Bravo Fire burning in Grand Canyon National Park becomes ‘megafire’

The Dragon Bravo Fire burning in the Grand Canyon in Arizona has burned more than 100,000 acres since it began on July 4. The fire is 9% contained, but continues burning throughout the North RIm of the Grand Canyon.

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. – A wildfire that broke out in Grand Canyon National Park has now been deemed a “megafire” due to its size.

The Dragon Bravo fire ignited from a lightning strike on July 4. As firefighters readied to contain the blaze, fire conditions rapidly changed, causing the fire to explode in size.

Dragon Bravo Fire glowing pyrocumulus cloud taken on July 28, 2025.

(L. Cisneros / National Park Service)

As of Friday, the Dragon Bravo Fire has burned 111,970 acres, becoming a “megafire” – a term given by the U.S. Forest Service when a fire reaches over 100,000 acres.

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Above Grand Canyon Lodge and the southern terminus of Arizona State Route 67 in the North Rim developed area.  The remains of Grand Canyon Lodge is visible left of center.

(NPS Photo / Matt Jenkins)

Trees and brush continue to be the primary fuel for the fire.

Nearly 1,200 personnel are battling the wildfire, which is now 9% contained.

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Dozens of buildings inside the North Rim of the Grand Canyon have been destroyed, including a historic lodge, as a chlorine gas leak has forced firefighter evacuations after the Dragon Bravo Fire exhibited extreme and volatile behavior and ripped through the region on Friday.

The fire closed the Grand Canyon’s North Rim for the remainder of the 2025 season after causing significant damage, including burning the historic Grand Canyon Lodge and the Grand Canyon Visitor’s Center. In total, 70 structures have been lost, according to the National Park Service.

Several trails within the Grand Canyon’s inner rim are also closed due to smoke accumulation from the Dragon Bravo Fire.

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In this handout image provided by Grand Canyon National Park, Two firefighters stand silhouetted against an intense orange-red sky as the Dragon Bravo Fire burns through a forested area at night, with flames and smoke rising in the background at Grand Canyon National Park on July 12, 2025.

(Grand Canyon National Park via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Fire officials said the fire continues pushing north, particularly into a burn scar from a 2006 wildfire called the Warm Fire.

Weather conditions on Friday may help firefighters fight the fire, as relative humidity is expected to be within 15-20%, the highest humidity in eight days.

But overall, extreme fire conditions still remain in place.