Dragon Bravo Fire pushes north and containment drops under record dry conditions
Morning Update for July 28, 2025
Fire Information Phone: 928-268-5610 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
Acres: 45,000 Location: Grand Canyon North Rim Personnel: 1,000 Containment: 13%
Start Date: July 4, 2025
Cause: Lightning
Fuels: Mixed conifer, aspen regeneration and ponderosa pine
Latest Update: Southwest Area Complex Incident Management Team Two has taken command of the Dragon Bravo Fire on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Containment has decreased to 13% following updated perimeter mapping and recent fire growth. Yesterday saw a significant push 3 to 4 miles to the north, particularly on the western flanks. Spot fires were confirmed in North Canyon, and extreme fire behavior was observed with pyrocumulus columns developing to heights of 24,000 feet.
While there was limited movement in the southeast and southwest corners, the northern runs were driven by continued
southwest winds and critically dry conditions.
Ongoing & Planned Operations: The Dragon Bravo Fire is expected to continue pushing northeast throughout today.
Firefighters focus on active suppression, with safety as the top priority. Crews are encouraged to remain alert to rapidly
changing conditions, as circumstances are increasingly challenged by terrain, fuels, and wind. Scouts will continue evaluating
contingency lines along Forest Road 223 and adjacent meadows. Firefighters continue protecting values at risk. Crews continue
structure and wildlife assessment and preparations in the House Rock area, northeast of the fire. Firefighters maintain presence
around the Kaibab Lodge and other infrastructure near the North Park Entrance, ensuring rapid response if needed. Extreme fire
activity is expected to continue in the same fashion as yesterday.
Weather & Smoke: The fire remains under the influence of a historic dry air mass. Relative humidity dropped to 10% as winds
gusted over 25 mph across the fire area. Forecasts for today call for near identical conditions: hot, dry, and breezy with
continued poor overnight recovery. Southwest winds will continue to align with fuel beds, promoting fast spread and long
duration burning periods. Smoke will remain visible from surrounding areas, including the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Residents and visitors impacted by the smoke are encouraged to monitor local air quality conditions at
outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net.
Evacuations & Closures: Information about current closures on Grand Canyon National Park can be found on the National
Park Service website at https://www.nps.gov/grca/northrimstatus.htm. The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will
remain closed for the duration of the 2025 season. U.S. Route 89A has reopened, though Grand Canyon Highway (state Route
67) remains closed. For information about the forest closure on the North Kaibab Ranger District, visit the Kaibab National
Forest website at fs.usda.gov/r03/kaibab. Kaibab Camper Village and Jacob Lake Inn and gas station are now open. The rest of
the forest, including the Jacob Lake Campground, remains closed.
More Information: The Temporary Flight Restriction in place over the area of the Dragon Bravo Fire has expanded and may
expand further. Visit The Federal Aviation Administration’s website at https://tfr.faa.gov/ for the latest TFR.
Dragon Bravo Fire InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/azgcp-dragon-bravo-fire
Southwest Area Incident Management Team 2’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SWAIMT2/
Grand Canyon National Park X (Twitter): https://x.com/GrandCanyonNPS
Email: 2025.dragonbravo@firenet.gov
