On July 4, a lightning strike ignited the wildfire. The Grand Canyon National Park has relied on a “confine and contain” approach for decades to remove dense vegetation, reduce future risk, and strengthen the ecosystem. Four days later, the National Park Service said that it would be permitted to burn.
However, the flames rapidly grew more intense a week after they were started due to gusty winds, scorching weather, and decreased humidity, which forced authorities to switch to rigorous suppression and issue evacuation orders. According to fire information officer Stefan La-Sky, the fire was 8% contained as of Saturday, having burned over 18 square miles (46 square kilometers).
The Dragon Bravo fire on the less-visited North Rim of the canyon damaged over 70 buildings, including a visitors’ center, historic cabins, and the almost century-old Grand Canyon Lodge. No injuries have been reported.
Hobbs touched down and proceeded to the incident command station. The fire camp, which is littered with tents and yurts and lined with trailers, is currently home to over 800 individuals who have come from independent contractors and other federal, state, and local entities to assist with fire suppression efforts. The camp operates like a little town.
In addition to meeting with representatives from the Department of Interior, the National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park, and the incident commander, the governor shook hands with crew members in the mess hall. She expressed her encouragement at learning that the federal government prioritizes mitigation.
Although this is under federal jurisdiction, Hobbs stated that we must all cooperate since fire knows no bounds.
The governor has demanded an inquiry into why, amid the hottest and driest time of the summer, the park staff did not extinguish the fires right away. There have also been inquiries from the state’s congressional delegation.
Hobbs stated that she is not questioning the first response. She stated that she wants to know what factors were considered in the decision-making process and whether any mistakes were made once the fire has been contained.
The park service has justified what it did.
Hobbs is scheduled to discuss their choices for handling the blaze this coming week with U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Department of the Interior officials this week.
In a video statement on Wednesday, she claimed she has not seen any evidence that the fire’s spread is due to a lack of federal resources.
Despite warnings from past federal officials that it might be expensive and raise the risk of catastrophic fires, President Donald Trump ordered agency authorities last month to combine wildland firefighting under a single program.
Both the North Rim and two campgrounds at the bottom of the canyon, close to the Colorado River, are closed for the remainder of the season.
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