Dragon Bravo Fire Significant Wildland Fire Review 2025

The Dragon Bravo Fire ignited on July 4, 2025, as a result of a lightning strike on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park (GRCA), and ultimately burned approximately 145,504 acres across National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) managed lands.

Following the initial response, the GRCA Superintendent, also working as Agency Administrator (AA) for the Dragon Bravo Fire, selected a confine and contain strategy in a Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS) decision issued on July 6, 2025. As the incident progressed, conditions deteriorated rapidly. Persistent drought, receptive fuels, and increasingly volatile weather contributed to escalating fire behavior.

Between July 11 and July 13, 2025, fire behavior intensified dramatically, resulting in the loss of multiple structures, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, employee housing, and other critical infrastructure.