The Dragon Bravo fire has grown by nearly 30,000 acres in the span of three days as record-low humidities create challenging conditions and decrease the containment firefighters have secured over the past three weeks the flames have been burning.
Why It Matters
A lightning strike ignited the Dragon Bravo fire in the Grand Canyon’s North Rim on July 4. In the three weeks the fire has been burning, there have been no injuries or fatalities, although 100 structures in the North Rim have been destroyed, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.
The fire prompted National Park Service (NPS) officials to close the North Rim entrance for the season. There have been 1,000 evacuees. At any one time, 1,000 firefighters are combatting the flames.
What to Know
As of the most recent update, the fire is at 71,000 acres in size and only 9 percent contained. On Sunday, the fire’s size was 44,429 acres and it was 26 percent contained.
“Progress on the Dragon Bravo Fire is moving in the negative direction – the fire saw nearly 20,000 acres of growth overnight,” KUTV2 News reporter Olivia Kelleher posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday. “The containment was downgraded from 26% to 13% and then again to 9% a few moments ago.”
Southwest Area Incident Management Team Public Information Officer Lisa Jennings told Newsweek that weather is posing the biggest challenge to firefighters. As historically dry conditions contribute to the fire’s rapid growth, firefighters have been unable to keep up with containment.
“With the huge amount of fire activity over the past several days, we have had to reduce our containment because of the growth of the fire,” Jennings told Newsweek. “As the fire grows in size, we have not been able to increase our containment at the same pace the fire is growing.”
Jennings was unable to provide an estimate on when the fire might be completely contained.
What People Are Saying
Jennings told Newsweek: “This is the driest it has ever been for the month of July. It just keeps breaking those records day after day.”
The most recent fire update said: “The strategy for fighting this fire remains full suppression. Firefighter and public safety remain top priorities. Unpredictable fire behavior requires crews to remain aware of and quickly respond to changes in their situation. Firefighters will continue their operations on the fire’s flanks to protect values at risk in the area. Efforts are being made to keep the fire away from State Route 67.”
What Happens Next
Fire suppression efforts will continue. Some light rain showers were expected on Tuesday, but fire officials warned significant precipitation wasn’t likely.
The post Dragon Bravo Fire Map: Blaze Grows to 71,000 Acres appeared first on Newsweek.
