If you have a trip to the Grand Canyon coming up, there's more bad news: Containment on a large wildfire burning on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon has continued to fall. The so-called Dragon Bravo Fire has been burning since it was sparked by a lightning strike on July 4, and fire officials now say that increased mapping shows it has grown to 111 square miles, or nearly twice the size of Washington, D.C. But what has really grabbed the attention of the public is how the blaze's overall containment was cut in half over the weekend, dropping from 26% on Friday tojust 13% on Monday. That number dropped even more Tuesday, to 9%. "The way we calculate containment in an active wildfire is it is a percent of the total fire perimeterthat is out cold," Southwest Area Incident Management Team public information officer Lisa Jennings told KTAR News. "We actually have our firefighters going out there and making sure that those areas are contained, and so that feet of contained line continues to increase, but at the same time, the fire has seen a lot of growth." (MORE:Jaw-Dropping Lightning Strike Caught On Video) This wildfire has already claimed at least 70 buildings, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, and has shut down the North Rim for the remainder of the 2025 season, but now, more buildings are in its path. According to Fox 10 Phoenix, the historic Kaibab Lodge in Fredonia, which was built in 1926,is also being threatened by the fire. (MORE:Lightning Is A Surprising Tree Killer) The lodge sits just 9 miles from the North Rim Lookout Tower and has been spared so far, but it's one of the buildings that the 968 personnel assigned to the fire have been working tirelessly to protect from the flames. "Just say a prayer," lodge owner Larry Innes told Fox 10 Phoenix. "I mean, it's kind of out of our hands. I mean, the things are working our way right now and let's hope it keeps going that way for the next few days." Unfortunately, conditions are not getting more favorable for firefighters who are battling this massive inferno. And although the North Rim is now closed to visitors, anyone in the area will certainly feel the heat. "Extreme heat will also impact the North Rim as high temperatures could range from 105 to 113 degrees," said weather.com digital meteorologistJennifer Gray. "An extreme heat warning is in place as visitors are urged not to descend below 4,000 feet, especially during the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (WATCH:Raging Floodwaters Tear Apart Mobile Home) "This is an extremely dangerous heat that can lead to heat illness and even death," she added. "Take the alerts seriously, and make sure you stay hydrated if you are visiting the Grand Canyon today." "Unhealthy air quality will persist for another day along the North Rim due to the Dragon Bravo Fire nearby," said Gray. "High winds and low humidity will continue to work against firefighters as they battle the flames." If you're heading out to the Grand Canyon for outdoor activities, or anywhere else where wildfire smoke could be lingering in the air, it's important to knowwhat it can do to your body.
