PhoenixContainment numbers have fallen as the blaze nearly quadrupled in size in a matter of days due to historically dry conditions and gusty winds that have made it difficult for personnel to manage a wildfire burning along the Grand Canyon’s North Rim.
Last week, crews were able to confine roughly 26% of the fire, but by Tuesday, that number had fallen into the single digits as adverse circumstances allowed the flames to spread over more than 110 square miles, or over 285 kilometers.
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On Monday, the fire swept across 25 square miles of land in one of its largest sweeps.
According to fire spokesperson Lisa Jennings, the fire is burning for extended periods of time during the day, which means that firefighters have less time to cover ground.
Since it’s also been a dry season and we haven’t had any of the monsoon precipitation that typically arrives in early July, Jennings added that these record dry air masses are only the beginning of what has caused this fire weather.
She noted that the terrain of the rim and the fuels, which include tall mixed conifers and ponderosa pines, are causing the fire to spread.
On Tuesday, workers persisted on strengthening defenses in the vicinity of the Kaibab Lodge, which is encircled by national forest territory. Additionally, managers were monitoring a bison herd in the House Rock Valley and a refuge for the state’s fish, the Apache trout in the North Canyon.
On July 4, lightning ignited the fire, which at first was controlled to remove vegetation and enhance forest conditions. Visitors and staff were evacuated from the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park a week later as a result of dry and windy weather that contributed to the fire. Dozens of cabins including the famous Grand Canyon Lodge were destroyed. For the season, the rim stays closed.
A bipartisan group of political leaders from Arizona has expressed disapproval of the fire’s management, arguing that more could have been done in the early stages. U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum promised to conduct an impartial assessment after Gov. Katie Hobbs met with federal authorities.
