If you’ve visited the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, you’ve probably seen the Grand Canyon Lodge. The historic building was rebuilt after a fire in 1937 and offered breathtaking views of the canyon itself. Unfortunately, we’re using the past tense for a reason — the wildfires that have caused evacuations of Grand Canyon National Park have also resulted in the destruction of the lodge itself, along with several other buildings in the vicinity.
The Lodge’s website includes a statement about the building’s destruction. “As stewards of some of our country’s most beloved national treasures, we are devastated by the loss of the Grand Canyon Lodge and numerous other historic buildings at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim,” it reads in part. “We are grateful that all our employees and guests have been safely evacuated, and we join the National Park Service in mourning the loss of these iconic and beloved structures.”
As The Guardian reports, the wildfires also destroyed employee housing, a gas station, the park’s visitor center and other structures. So far, over 45,000 acres in the park have been consumed by a pair of wildfires, the first of which was set off by a lightning strike on July 4. Of the two, the White Sage fire has been more destructive, burning around eight times the acreage as the Dragon Bravo fire.
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The south rim is iconic, sure, but also inundated with touristsMaking matters worse, among the buildings burned by the Dragon Bravo fire was a water treatment plant, which resulted in chlorine gas being released into the air. A National Parks Service announcement noted that firefighters were evacuated, but that nearby communities should be safe from ill effects. A number of trails within the park have also been temporarily closed.
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