Wildfire destroyed historic Grand Canyon lodge after decision not to extinguish fire

In the USA, a wildfire destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge in the Grand Canyon, spreading after being allowed to burn for several days, UNN reports with reference to AP.

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"The wildfire that engulfed the historic lodge in the Grand Canyon and spiraled out of control on Monday had been burning for several days before flaring up over the weekend, drawing scrutiny to the National Park Service's decision not to aggressively fight the fire immediately," the report says.

The wildfire along the more isolated North Rim of the canyon, where most visitors do not venture, quickly flared up without containment, fire officials said. No injuries were reported, but more than 70 structures were lost, including a visitor center and several lodges.

Initially, the fire caused no alarm after it ignited from a lightning strike on July 4. Four days later, the park service said the fire was allowed to burn for the benefit of the land, and fire crews were closely monitoring the situation. "There are currently no threats to infrastructure or public safety," the park announced on Facebook.

Then, three days later, on Friday, firefighters and the park service issued an "immediate evacuation" warning as the fire grew nearly eightfold within a day, reaching over 3.6 square kilometers.

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs called for a federal investigation into the park service's handling of the fire. "The federal government chose to manage this fire as a controlled burn during the driest and hottest part of Arizona's summer," the governor said in a social media post on Sunday.

Initially, authorities used a "confine and contain" strategy but switched to active suppression as the fire – one of two firefighters are dealing with on the North Rim – grew rapidly due to high temperatures, low humidity, and strong wind gusts, firefighters said.

The fire destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge, the only hotel on the park's North Rim, as well as employee housing and a wastewater treatment plant, park superintendent Ed Keable said Sunday.

On Monday, the Dragon Bravo fire, which destroyed the hotel and other structures along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, spread to an area of nearly 23 square kilometers.

The White Sage fire also grew significantly, covering an area of 199 square kilometers without containment. Officials reported progress in fighting the fire.

Park officials closed access to the North Rim until the end of the year, a less popular area that attracts only about 10% of the millions of Grand Canyon visitors annually.

Tourists in the area were evacuated, and rafters on the Colorado River, which runs through the canyon, were told to bypass Phantom Ranch, an outpost with cabins and dormitories. Trails to this area from the North Rim and South Rim of the canyon were also closed.

From the air, plumes of black smoke could be seen rising above the canyon rim, and parts of the park were hazy.

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