Dragon Bravo Fire: Officials give update as extreme dry conditions, gusty winds cause major growth

PHOENIX — The Dragon Bravo Fire, a destructive wildfire burning on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, has more than doubled in size over the past week as extremely dry weather and gusty winds fuel flames.

The Dragon Bravo Fire started on July 4 within the borders of Grand Canyon National Park after being sparked by lightning. It has since burned a total of 28,773 acres, with most of that coming this week, according to the latest incident report.

On Sunday, the Dragon Bravo Fire was measured at 12,645 acres. However, throughout the week, it has rapidly expanded, setting an additional 16,000 acres ablaze, with most of that growth coming at night, the incident report said.

Containment was at 8% on Sunday and grew to 26% on Wednesday, but has not grown since.

Almost 200 more personnel have also been called in to battle this fire since Sunday. The total number of people fighting the blaze stood at 1,039 on Friday. Some of those crews have been reassigned from the White Sage Fire, which is burning about 30 miles north.

What is fueling Dragon Bravo Fire growth?

The Southwest Area Incident Management Team 4 (SWAIMT), which is leading the battle against this fire, said it has been fueled by four straight days of low humidity and gusty winds in the area.

On Thursday, the relative humidity in the area of the Dragon Bravo Fire dropped as low as 9% and winds gusted between 15-20 mph. SWAIMT told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Friday that the low humidity was the lowest seen since 1964, when records began.

That weather is expected to continue on Friday, as the humidity is forecasted to drop as low as 8% in the afternoon hours, which means the growth of the fire could continue.

“This makes fighting the fire way more difficult,” SWAIMT Public Information Officer Stefan La-Sky said. “When you get winds like this, there’s nothing you can do. It’s a domino effect.”

How are crews fighting the Dragon Bravo Fire?

LaSky added that the growth trend of this fire, which has averaged more than 3,000 acres per day since Sunday, is expected to continue into the weekend, but that is due to how crews have had to adapt when fighting this fire.

“It’s like cutting off your finger to save your hand,” La-Sky said. “We will have to give up land to save hundreds of thousands of acres. We hate to do that, but it is the most effective way.”

La-Sky said crews are trying to circle the fire and establish areas of “black,” which are pre-burned areas that will force the fire to slow down and help them gain an upper hand in suppressing it.

However, LaSky stressed that crews not only have to battle the fire, but also the weather.

“No matter what we do, no matter all of our plans, we are at the whims of Mother Nature,” La-Sky said.

These dry and windy conditions are dangerous for the firefighters on the ground working to suppress the Dragon Bravo Fire, but SWAIMT said the safety of those crews is always its No. 1 priority.

“We won’t place them in harm’s way and we make sure they have an escape route and know when to engage and when not to engage,” La-Sky said.

The gusty winds have not been an issue for helicopters fighting the Dragon Bravo Fire from the air, as La-Sky said they are not high enough to ground them.

Are any new structures in danger due to the Dragon Bravo Fire?

The Dragon Bravo Fire has destroyed more than 70 structures on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.

Crews are currently monitoring several others, including the Kaibab Lodge and a nearby gas station, as the fire continues to grow.

It has led to Stage 2 fire restrictions being implemented in Grand Canyon National Park, the closure of the North Rim for the remainder of the 2025 visitor season and calls from Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and members of the state’s congressional delegation for an investigation into how the fire was handled.

However, La-Sky said there couldn’t be a better team working to get the Dragon Bravo Fire under control.

“They’ve got a real team of professionals on it,” La-Sky said. “It’s in really good hands.”

Officials stress that Grand Canyon National Park remains open

La-Sky, who is stationed at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, wanted to stress that the area remains open for visitors.

“The Grand Canyon is the best fire line,” La Sky said. “There is no danger at the South Rim, very minimal smoke impact. I’ve spoken to a lot of Europeans up here, it would be nice to get some people from the home front up here, as well.”

Clarinda Vail, the mayor of the town of Tusayan, which is on the South Rim, had a similar message during an appearance on KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on July 15.

“We’re very mindful and sensitive to what’s going on in the North Rim, but we know how people from all over our country and all over the world, that their destination is the Grand Canyon,” Vail said. “And so we still want them to be able to come and see the Grand Canyon.”

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