An official says a historic Grand Canyon lodge has been destroyed by wildfire [View all]

Source: NBC News

A historic lodge on the Grand Canyon's North Rim has been destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire, the park said Sunday.

The Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging inside the park at the North Rim, was consumed by the flames, park Superintendent Ed Keable told park residents, staff and others in a meeting Sunday morning. He said the visitor center, the gas station, a waste water treatment plant, an administrative building and some employee housing were among the 50 to 80 structures lost.

Two wildfires are burning at or near the North Rim, known as the White Sage Fire and the Dragon Bravo Fire. The latter is the one that impacted the lodge and other structures. The park initially was managing it as a controlled burn but then shifted to suppression as it rapidly grew to 7.8 square miles (20 square kilometers) because of hot temperatures, low humidity and wind, fire officials said.

The White Sage Fire doubled in size on Sunday, growing from roughly 20,000 acres to 40,000, according to government website that tracks U.S. fires.



Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/grand-canyon-lodge-destroyed-wildfire-rcna218566