GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. — Dozens of buildings inside the North Rim of the Grand Canyon have been destroyed, including a historic lodge, as a chlorine gas leak has forced firefighter evacuations after the Dragon Bravo Fire exhibited “extreme and volatile” behavior and ripped through the region on Friday.
Among the buildings burned by the Dragon Bravo Fire on Friday afternoon was the area’s water treatment facility, which in turn released a plume of chlorine gas, national park officials said.
Park authorities immediately evacuated firefighters from the North Rim and all hikers from the inner canyon, as chlorine is heavier than air and will settle into lower elevations.
“Current HYSPLIT maps from NOAA indicate that the chlorine gas does not pose a critical threat to nearby communities,” national park officials said. “The HYSPLIT model is used to predict the spread of gases or smoke in an identified area when they are released.”
The evacuations have now hampered firefighting efforts, pausing the use of aerial fire retardant drops.
There are no reports of any injuries.
National Park officials say preliminary assessments indicate 50–80 structures have been lost, including the Grand Canyon Lodge and numerous historic cabins in the developed area. Other buildings lost include National Park Service administrative buildings and visitor facilities.
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The Dragon Bravo Fire was sparked by lightning on July 4, according to park officials. The fire continued to spread, and the North Rim was evacuated during the week as flames approached. But the fire jumped multiple containment lines on Friday during unusual and strong northwesterly wind gusts reaching 20-40 mph.
The fire now sits at 5,000 acres and remains 0% contained. Dozens of firefighters are assigned to battle the blaze.
Crews are also battling the White Sage Fire, which is burning just north of the North Rim and has consumed over 10,000 acres.
The Grand Canyon Lodge was designed by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood in 1928. However, the main building destroyed by the Dragon Bravo Fire is not the original lodge.
“The fire that destroyed the original lodge engulfed the structure within minutes,” according to the NPS. “On the top floor over the auditorium slept the only inhabitants —the lodge manager, his wife, and the maids. All exited safely to stand watching helplessly in the early morning hours of September 1, 1932.”
The “new” main lodge building was completed in 1937.
