An Official Says A Historic Grand Canyon Lodge Has Been Destroyed By Wildfire

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A historical lodge connected nan Grand Canyon's North Rim has been destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire, nan parkland said Sunday.

The Grand Canyon Lodge, nan only lodging wrong nan parkland astatine nan North Rim, was consumed by nan flames, parkland Superintendent Ed Keable told parkland residents, unit and others successful a gathering Sunday morning. He said nan visitant center, nan state station, a discarded h2o curen plant, an administrative building and immoderate worker lodging were among nan 50 to 80 structures lost.

Two wildfires are burning astatine aliases adjacent nan North Rim, known arsenic nan White Sage Fire and nan Dragon Bravo Fire. The second is nan 1 that impacted nan lodge and different structures. The parkland initially was managing it arsenic a controlled pain but past shifted to suppression arsenic it quickly grew to 7.8 quadrate miles (20 quadrate kilometers) because of basking temperatures, debased humidity and wind, occurrence officials said.

No injuries person been reported.

Millions of group sojourn Grand Canyon National Park annually, pinch astir going to nan much celebrated South Rim. The North Rim is unfastened seasonally. It was evacuated past Thursday because of wildfire.

Aerial resources moving to suppress nan White Sage wildfire burning northbound of Grand Canyon National Park successful Ariz., connected Thursday.Bureau of Land Management, Arizona State Office via AP

Firefighters astatine nan North Rim and hikers successful nan soul canyon were evacuated complete nan weekend. The parkland said on pinch nan occurrence risk, they could perchance beryllium exposed to chlorine state aft nan curen works burned. Chlorine state is heavier than aerial and tin lead to blurred vision, irritation aliases respiratory problems if precocious amounts of it are breathed in, according to nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Rafters connected nan Colorado River done nan Grand Canyon besides were told to bypass Phantom Ranch, which has a group of cabins and dormitories on nan river.

The North Rim lodge was often nan first salient characteristic that visitors see, moreover earlier viewing nan canyon. A road ends astatine nan lodge, which was known for its sloped roof, immense ponderosa beams and monolithic limestone facade. By stepping crossed nan lobby and descending a stairwell, visitors could get their first position of nan Grand Canyon sparkling done windows crossed nan "Sun Room."

Meanwhile, officials reported advancement successful battling a 2nd wildfire burning northbound of nan Grand Canyon. Fire lines connected nan White Sage Fire that forced evacuations astatine nan North Rim and successful nan organization of Jacob Lake were holding, officials said. On nan confederate separator of nan fire, manus crews and bulldozers were moving uphill, and nan dispersed of nan blaze had been minimal.

But to nan eastbound and north, nan occurrence has dispersed rapidly, pinch grasses and opinionated dormant trees contributing to nan fire's intensity, officials said. The occurrence was pushing downhill toward nan Vermilion Cliffs area, and crews were assessing opportunities to create buffer zones that thief slow aliases halt nan fire's progress.

.