A year after lightning triggered a devastating blaze on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, lightning has lit another portion of the park on fire. Photo: Evan Quarnstrom
A lightning strike on Monday, June 15, has set a portion of the Grand Canyon ablaze. The Dellenbaugh Fire, located in a remote portion of the canyon roughly 80 miles west of Grand Canyon Village, has burned 766 acres as of June 17 and has not been contained.
Fifty firefighters from the U.S. Wildland Fire Service have been dispatched to combat the flames.
The Arizona Bureau of Land Management reported that the fire had not spread quickly and that air tankers had begun to create retardant lines before being diverted to other fires. Lightning also triggered the Rocky Canyon Fire on Monday, burning 3,000 acres northeast of the Grand Canyon.
The blazes in the Grand Canyon come a year after lightning also sparked a devastating blaze on the park’s North Rim on July 4. The Dragon Bravo Fire engulfed 145,000 acres, destroying 70 structures, including a historic lodge, causing a chlorine gas leak, and leading to a months-long closure of the area.
The popular North Kaibab trail didn’t reopen until May 15 this year, and the North Rim campground opened on June 1. However, park officials have warned that trails in the blaze’s path could remain dangerous for years due to debris flows.
