PHOENIX – The lightning-sparked Dragon Bravo Fire, which has been burning for most of July, is prompting concern from local businesses and drawing demands for answers from Arizona politicians.
The Kaibab Lodge, set to celebrate its centennial next year, sits precariously close to the ongoing blaze, leading to daily worries about its spread.
Larry Innes, owner of Kaibab Lodge, said the next two to three days are “pretty critical” for the lodge’s safety. Fire crews have been working around the clock to keep the historic property behind containment lines.
“They feel this is just critical to keep the lodge because we are close enough to the park that we can help with the rebuilding,” Innes said, noting it provides a place for contractors to stay during reconstruction efforts.
Big picture view:
Plans to rebuild the North Rim community, including the Grand Canyon Lodge which was destroyed in the fire, were a central topic in Washington D.C. this week. Gov. Katie Hobbs traveled to the capital for meetings with leaders, including U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego.
“We talked about keeping Arizona’s economy strong, good-paying jobs, recovering from the Dragon Bravo Fire,” Sen. Mark Kelly said. Sen. Ruben Gallego added, “Of course we talked about the big priorities of Arizona whether it’s the Grand Canyon, water, protecting our great economy.”
Republican U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar also called for an investigation into the initial handling of the fire, sending his own letter to Secretary Burgum. Gosar expressed concerns that the “spread of the Dragon Bravo Fire is the direct result of the recently inherited policies from the previous administration.”
Hobbs posted on X that Burgum is committed to an investigation into the decisions made during the fire’s containment process.
Local perspective:
Meanwhile, Innes’ primary focus, beyond hoping the Kaibab Lodge remains safe, is supporting the firefighters. “The heroes are the firefighters. These guys live in tents, the smoke, the horrible conditions and they really just put their heart into what they’re doing so we’re very grateful to them,” he said.
FOX 10 reached out to Governor Hobbs, Senators Kelly and Gallego, and Arizona’s Republican Congress members for more details on the Washington conversations but is awaiting responses.
WildfiresArizonaKatie HobbsMark KellyRuben GallegoPaul GosarGrand CanyonCoconino CountyArizona Politics