Grand Canyon Wildfires
On July 4, 2025, lightning from a thunderstorm ignited a wildfire in Grand Canyon National Park. Named the Dragon Bravo Fire, it threatened the North Rim of the park, forcing its closure for the rest of the 2025 season. During the weekend of July 12, strong, gusty winds and dry, hot weather fueled the fire, causing it to burn down many structures within the park, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim. A combination of gusty winds and extremely low humidity during the last week of July contributed to a rapid expansion of the fire, leading it to becoming the 10th largest wildfire in Arizona history. On September 28, 2025, the Dragon Bravo Fire was declared 100% contained, having scorched 145,504 acres. On October 1, 2025, the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park was partially re-opened to the public.
A little further north, lightning also ignited the White Sage Fire on July 9, 2025 in northern Arizona, close to the state border with Utah. Similar weather conditions the same weekend caused the explosive growth of the fire, expanding tens of thousands of acres. On September 12, 2025, the White Sage Fire was declared 100% contained, burning 58,985 acres.
More information on the Dragon Bravo and the White Sage fires can be found on InciWeb and updates on closures in Grand Canyon National Park can be found via the National Park Service.
Satellite imagery of this event:
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