A year after Dragon Bravo devastated it, the Grand Canyon is burning again

Grand Canyon National Park announced Wednesday that almost exactly one year after the Dragon Bravo Fire, the Cliff Spring Fire was sparked by lightning just below the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. By Tuesday, the fire had spread 171 acres And was completely unaffected.

park officer Said Crews were using direct suppression tactics that rely heavily on helicopter bucket drops to bring the fire under control.

“Because the fire is burning in steep, inaccessible terrain, crews cannot work directly at the edge of the fire and are working from safe locations to limit the spread of the fire while minimizing unnecessary risk to personnel,” officials wrote.

At the moment, no New closures related to fire are in effect in the area, although park staff members have stopped backcountry permits for the Walhalla Plateau caution Weather and fire behavior can change rapidly.

The new fire comes almost exactly a year after the Dragon Bravo Fire ignited after another lightning strike on July 4, 2025. Initially managed under a containment strategy, strong, changing winds caused the flames to move beyond established containment lines, leading to an explosion several days later. This caused 500 visitors to be forced to evacuate from the North Rim, while residents sheltered in place.

By the time firefighters brought the fire under control nearly two months later, it had been destroyed or seriously damaged. 114 structures It affected 73 miles of trails and swallowed 149,339 acres of land, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.

Governor of Arizona National Park Service called in to investigate After critics claimed that wildfire mitigation efforts were partly responsible for the severity of the fire. At that time, the Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum claimed The National Park Service should have focused on suppression rather than prevention.

Although many of those paths Reopened this springOfficials expressed concern that their shares would More likely to experience rockslidesThe lasting effects of fire damage can result in debris flows and flash floods.

As wildfires continue to ravage much of the country, some critics point to changes in responses to wildfires as a contribution to the scale of destruction. Both the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service faced significant layoffs and buyouts as early as 2025, although frontline wildland firefighters were largely exempted from the initial layoffs. Nevertheless, some estimates indicate that at least 1,800 4,800 Forest Service employees affected by the layoffs had “red cards”, meaning they were trained to assist in wildfire incidents.

At the time of layoff, Forest chief, Tom Schultz claimed That they will not affect fire season. but many conservation organization And former Park Service officials claimed that staffing shortages made national parks less flexible, limiting operational flexibility and support for emergency functions such as fire suppression. Reuters also interviewed more than a dozen current and former Forest Service employees who claimed that the loss of overall support Firefighters are moving away from suppression efforts Favoring tasks such as logistics, camp maintenance and administrative duties.

Stage two fire restrictions will also remain in effect Due to the high risk of fire due to low humidity, high winds and dry vegetation across the state, wood and coal fires, outdoor smoking and explosives have been limited in the South Rim and Inner Canyon until further notice. Visitors should monitor park alerts to stay updated on the latest park restrictions.