A massive wildfire burning on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon has exceeded 100,000 acres, meaning it is now classified as a “megafire”.
The Dragon Bravo Fire has been burning since it was sparked by a lightning strike on July 4, in an update on Thursday morning, fire officials said the fire has grown to almost 165 square miles, or more than 105,000 acres. That also makes it the largest wildfire of the year so far in the U.S., according to InciWeb, a government site that tracks wildfires. The second largest is the Cram Fire, which burned more than 95,000 acres in Oregon.
Containment of the Grand Canyon fire, which had dropped from 26% to just 4% on Wednesday, rose slightly to 9%.
“The way we calculate containment in an active wildfire is it is a percent of the total fire perimeter that is out cold,” Southwest Area Incident Management Team public information officer Lisa Jennings told KTAR News. “We actually have our firefighters going out there and making sure that those areas are contained, and so that feet of contained line continues to increase, but at the same time, the fire has seen a lot of growth.”
(MORE: Jaw-Dropping Lightning Strike Caught On Video)
More Historic Structures Threatened
This wildfire has already claimed at least 70 buildings, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, and has shut down the North Rim for the remainder of the 2025 season, but now, more buildings are in its path. According to Fox 10 Phoenix, the historic Kaibab Lodge in Fredonia, which was built in 1926, is also being threatened by the fire.
(MORE: Lightning Is A Surprising Tree Killer)
The lodge sits just 9 miles from the North Rim Lookout Tower and has been spared so far, but it’s one of the buildings that the 968 personnel assigned to the fire have been working tirelessly to protect from the flames.
“Just say a prayer,” lodge owner Larry Innes told Fox 10 Phoenix. “I mean, it’s kind of out of our hands. I mean, the things are working our way right now and let’s hope it keeps going that way for the next few days.”
Another Hot Day Ahead
Smoke rises from inside the Grand Canyon
Unfortunately, conditions are not getting more favorable for firefighters who are battling this massive inferno. And although the North Rim is now closed to visitors, anyone in the area will certainly feel the heat.
“Temperatures are not expected to change much through the end of the week. At the bottom of the canyon, highs will surpass 110 degrees each afternoon through at least Sunday,” said weather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles. “Conditions will be dangerous below 4,000 feet, or 1 1/2 miles from the upper trailhead, and hikers are asked to stay out of the canyon between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
(WATCH: Raging Floodwaters Tear Apart Mobile Home)
“This is an extremely dangerous heat that can lead to heat illness and even death,” digital meteorologist Jennifer Gray added. “Take the alerts seriously, and make sure you stay hydrated if you are visiting the Grand Canyon.”
And What About The Smoke?
“Unhealthy air quality will persist along the North Rim due to the Dragon Bravo Fire nearby,” said Gray. “High winds and low humidity will continue to work against firefighters as they battle the flames.”
If you’re heading out to the Grand Canyon for outdoor activities, or anywhere else where wildfire smoke could be lingering in the air, it’s important to know what it can do to your body.